The Democratic Alliance (DA) is alarmed that residents supplied by the notorious Commando water system are entering their second week without a drop of water, and the silence from the City of Johannesburg’s leadership is deafening.
Communities stretching from Parktown West to Brixton have been without water for nearly two weeks following Rand Water maintenance that commenced in late May. What was promised as a routine intervention has spiralled into a full-blown crisis and no one in authority appears to be in any hurry to resolve it.
Johannesburg’s water crisis is the predictable result of years of neglect under the ANC-led administration, which has failed to maintain critical infrastructure, leaving the City with inadequate pumping capacity, offline reservoirs, and a main supply line unable to meet basic demand.
Johannesburg Water has repeatedly assured residents that the system is “in recovery,” citing a return-to-normal window of three to five days following the Rand Water maintenance. That window has long passed. The water has not returned. The assurances have proven hollow.
The DA has raised this matter directly with Johannesburg Water management and the City Manager, demanding clear answers and urgent intervention. We have been met with silence and evasion.
The DA demands that Mayor Morero and MMC Sekwaila give residents an explanation with a credible and honest timeline for restoration, and must ensure full transparency from both Johannesburg Water and Rand Water on pumping capacity and system status.
A DA-led government would work towards providing basic service delivery to the residents of Joburg so that they would have a reliable supply of water to meet their needs.