Members of the uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP) gathered outside the Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi’s headquarters in the Johannesburg CBD on Thursday, voicing their frustration over severe water shortages and other service delivery issues.
Their protest highlights the ongoing crisis affecting communities across the Greater Johannesburg area, notably in suburbs such as Naturena, Robertsham, Southhills, Parktown, and Melville.
Residents in areas like Melville and Emmarentia have faced dire conditions, with some going without water for as long as 24 days, a situation exacerbated by outdated infrastructure, persistent leaks, heightened demand, and outstanding municipal bills.
Her remarks underscored Minister of Water and Sanitation, Pemmy Majodina’s statement after she stated that fixing crumbling infrastructure is at the centre of the current water challenges in Gauteng and other parts of the country.
On Thursday, Majodina, her deputy David Mahlobo, and Minister of Cooperative Government and Traditional Affairs Velinkosini Hlabisa led yet another series of oversight visits in Johannesburg as part of the team’s assessment of the situation on the ground.
Andile Chalwe, an MKP member, and leader of the protesting group from Naturena, south of Johannesburg, lamented the water challenges in the area, saying some of the residents have not had water for two weeks.
“It is criminal what they are doing to us. The premier and the government cannot carry on with their SONA while we do not have water. They have made empty promises to us. SONA after SONA, they have made empty promises while our water infrastructure crumbles. We are told that we need more than R400 billion to fix this infrastructure,” she said.
The ongoing struggles were thrust into the spotlight just a day before the protest, when Lesufi drew ire during a visit to Emmarentia, stating that even government officials were affected by the same water issues as ordinary citizens.
“Even government officials suffer the same water challenges as everyone else,” Lesufi mentioned, recounting his own experience of having to bathe in a hotel before fulfilling his duties. However, he later issued an apology for his remarks, which many perceived as tone-deaf amid the crisis.
Meanwhile, amid calls for President Cyril Ramaphosa to declare the water crisis in the country as a national disaster, Hlabisa said such a classification is only considered when a problem becomes too large for a department to manage.
Hlabisa stated that with the water challenges still being attended to, this classification will not be possible.
“You reach a stage of classification or declaration when the problem is too huge, and you are unable to respond to it immediately as a dedicated department. Once you classify or declare, you activate all the other departments to come on board,” he said.
Despite the challenges, Majodina assured residents of Johannesburg that progress is being made in restoring water services in affected areas.Â
She further reiterated that more infrastructure needs to be built to ensure stability of the system and supply.
“Let us build more reservoirs to ensure we have adequate backup when we experience challenges. We must also fix our infrastructure, as we are fully aware that ageing and decaying systems are contributing to leaks.”Â
Siyabonga Sithole
iol.co.za
