Local – The water crisis in Johannesburg’s western suburbs continues to escalate, with residents accusing officials of failing to provide lasting solutions.
Despite assurances from Johannesburg Mayor Dada Morero, communities such as Westbury, Coronationville, Crosby, and Newclare remain without a consistent water supply.
Residents say their daily lives are being severely disrupted. Families are left with no certainty on when water will flow, and alternative arrangements are often costly or unreliable.
Westbury resident, Hussain van Zyl, explained that residents were initially promised water restoration within a week. However, intermittent supply soon dashed hopes.
“What happened was previously to Thursday’s meeting, which was a day eight already after the 7-day promise that within 7 days they will restore the water to full capacity to all taps in all the areas that’s affected… water started coming on and going off intermittently… some people have water for like 2 3 hours and then it’s gone.”
Technical Challenges in the System
The structure of Johannesburg’s pipelines has been raised as a significant obstacle. Low pressure and poor distribution result in some households receiving a trickle, while others remain completely dry.
Community members argue that officials have not addressed these structural problems effectively. Without proper upgrades, they believe temporary measures will keep failing.
Van Zyl highlighted the technical challenges, recalling that Morero had asked for more time.
“We had the meeting on Thursday last week, where he asked us to give him an extension of 3 weeks, 21 days to restore the water properly because they have challenges with regards to water reaching our pipes and the reservoirs that are not holding capacity.”
Residents have also expressed scepticism about new infrastructure projects, saying that plans to install additional pipelines have done little to rebuild trust.
Van Zyl described these proposals as unrealistic, arguing that without enough active reservoirs, new pipelines alone could not resolve the shortages.
Underlying Issues of Mismanagement
Beyond the technical faults, residents believe poor governance lies at the heart of the crisis. Delayed maintenance, crumbling infrastructure and stalled projects have fuelled anger.
This frustration is compounded by what many see as a lack of leadership capacity. Van Zyl argued that government inefficiency has caused widespread damage over the years.
“The infrastructure was starting to crumble, but maintenance was never done on time… At the end of the day, they have mismanaged this country badly. They do not know what they’re doing.”
Allegations of Corruption and Water Mafia
Concerns about corruption have added to the tension. Some residents believe a so-called “water mafia” benefits financially from keeping communities dependent on water trucks.
The perception is that neglecting infrastructure is itself a form of sabotage. Van Zyl said contracts for water trucks create financial incentives for the crisis to continue.
“The water mafia is real, and it is government officials and probably ministers or MEC, whoever… So, the water mafia is real and it’s there.”
As frustration grows, alternative solutions are being considered. Van Zyl suggested tapping into underground reserves beneath parts of the community.
“If they build a pump station… and suction that water out into a filtration plant that will chlorinate it and then pump it directly into the pipelines. It will be an immediate alleviation of problems.”
