The recent Rand Water maintenance has exposed the City of Johannesburg’s long-ignored failures to maintain and upgrade its water infrastructure, with residents across the City paying the price for years of neglect and poor planning.
English soundbite by Belinda Kayser-Echeozonjoku
This crisis is being compounded by a complete absence of political leadership. At a time when decisive action is required, the Mayor and his Executive are effectively AWOL.
Despite claims of an expanded water tanker fleet, the reality on the ground is chaos and inequality. Some areas are flooded with tankers, while others are left without a single drop. Councillors in neglected areas are forced to beg for basic assistance and clear information.
Emergency water provision has become a postcode lottery.
Joburg Water is also flouting its own Service Level Agreement, which requires alternative water supply after 12 hours without water. In many communities this requirement is ignored, leaving residents without water for days, with no communication and no accountability.
The DA has already written to the Ministers of Water and Sanitation, Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA), and Finance, raising serious concerns about the City of Johannesburg’s failure to access and utilise national infrastructure grants. In the same letter, the DA also requested an investigation into the escalating costs of water tankers, while the City fails to account for whether it applied for available water infrastructure grants and what the outcomes of those applications were.
Instead of fixing what is broken, the City continues to burn public money on emergency tankers that do not address the root cause of the crisis.
The consequences are severe. The sick, elderly and most vulnerable residents are placed at risk, dignity is stripped away, and a basic constitutional right is denied.
This crisis is avoidable. It is the direct result of failed governance, financial mismanagement, and absent leadership.
The DA demands immediate compliance with service standards, fair and transparent tanker deployment, full disclosure on tanker costs and grant applications, honest communication with councillors and residents, and urgent investment in permanent infrastructure solutions.
Access to water is not optional. Johannesburg residents deserve accountability, transparency, and a City that works.