Note to editors: Please find attached English soundbite by Evert Du Plessis MPL.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) demands urgent repairs to water infrastructure affecting Greenhills residents in Randfontein, Rand West. This area faces ongoing water shortages: residents have water for two hours, then it goes for eight hours due to ageing water infrastructure and pump failures.
This issue has been ongoing for more than three years, mostly affecting Wards 6 and 9 in the area.
Despite the recent community meeting attended by Rand West Mayor William Matsheke at Green Hills Stadium, there are no clear timelines for when the water infrastructure upgrade will commence and will be completed.
At the beginning of August this year, the municipality informed residents that work on the water tower would commence on 21 August. However, there are currently no visible signs of work at the site.
18 months ago, the mayor promised to resolve the issue and announced that funding to fix the water tower had been secured from the national government.
In December 2025, a South African Human Rights Commission (SHRC) report found that the water problems were not simply isolated breakdowns. It identified the following: systemic infrastructure decay, supply limitations, insufficient operational resilience, and the consequences of municipal financial difficulties.
We will continue to put pressure on both the Gauteng MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA), Jacob Mamabolo, and Mayor Matsheke to prioritise fixing water infrastructure at Rand West.
A DA-led Rand West municipality will use water and sanitation revenue directly to maintain, repair, and expand water and sanitation infrastructure. We will focus on replacing ageing pipes, fixing leaks, upgrading wastewater systems, and extending services to growing communities.