JOHANNESBURG – Government has announced a series of measures to fast-track the recovery of water supply in Gauteng following recent disruptions that have left communities without water for weeks.
According to the Presidency, Rand Water has restored operations to full capacity. However, municipal systems, particularly in the City of Johannesburg, remain under strain due to low reservoir levels, heightened demand during the heatwave, ageing infrastructure and water losses averaging 33%.
The announcement follows a meeting convened on Friday by Deputy President Paul Mashatile, in his capacity as chairperson of the Water Task Team, with ministers and senior officials to assess water supply challenges across Gauteng.
To accelerate recovery, government is implementing several interventions, including controlling system recovery and load shifting, deploying water tankers to affected areas and providing technical support to municipalities.
Electro-mechanical failures blamed
The Water Task Team was briefed that electro-mechanical failures at Rand Water pump stations, along with a major pipe burst in late January, temporarily reduced bulk water supply.
“Government expects supply to progressively stabilise over the coming week, subject to reduced demand. Water security remains a national priority, and the Water Task Team will continue to monitor implementation and enforce compliance where necessary,” the Presidency said.
Meanwhile, a team of ministers has been engaging on the ground with Gauteng provincial leadership and municipalities, particularly Johannesburg, where plans are underway to resolve the water crisis.
The Deputy President is expected to visit Johannesburg next week to monitor the interventions.
Crisis affecting multiple communities
The water crisis has affected multiple communities across Gauteng, with residents in areas such as Selby, Melville, Emmarentia, Brixton, Laudium and Atteridgeville experiencing water outages for extended periods.
In Johannesburg, the crisis has not only affected households but also businesses, with an estimated 4 000 jobs at risk in Selby alone, according to the Democratic Alliance.
The DA announced last week that it will take the City of Johannesburg to court over the ongoing water crisis, alleging systemic mismanagement and poor infrastructure maintenance.
DA mayoral candidate for Johannesburg Helen Zille said Johannesburg has 22 critically endangered water systems and four that are on the verge of total collapse.
She also criticised the city for blaming households for over-consumption when millions of litres of clean drinking water are being lost through burst pipes and leaks.
“Water leaks are the reason consumption is so high. We are losing millions of litres of water to waste due to leaks and bad infrastructure,” Zille said.
Infrastructure and planning failures
The Freedom Front Plus has also called for urgent integrated intervention, stating that the problem is the result of systemic mismanagement, poor planning and inadequate infrastructure maintenance.
VF Plus member of the provincial legislature and Gauteng provincial leader Jaco Mulder said municipalities must realistically align their integrated development plans with actual capacity and future growth.
“The scale of water wastage in some municipalities is at worrying levels. This means that residents must endure water restrictions whilst millions of litres literally seep into the ground,” he said.
Mulder noted that Rand Water supplies not only Gauteng but also parts of North West, Free State and Mpumalanga, meaning the pressure on the system is greater than often acknowledged.
ALSO READ: Johannesburg water crisis threatens thousands of jobs as DA heads to court
Calls for accountability
Political parties have called for accountability from the ANC-led provincial and municipal governments.
Mulder criticised Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi’s remark that he himself was forced to shower at a hotel as extremely insensitive.
“This comment underscores exactly how far political leadership is currently removed from the daily suffering of people who don’t have such luxury options,” Mulder said.
The DA has estimated that Johannesburg has a maintenance backlog of R200 billion, which is more than twice the entire budget of the City of Johannesburg.
The party said the city has adopted a turnaround plan to address the issues but that it has not been implemented, and it wants the courts to force the city to act on it.
ALSO WATCH: WATCH | Desperate measures — Joburg residents pushed to the brink after days and even weeks without water
You must be logged in to post a comment.