On Wednesday residents in Parktown West headed to Jan Smuts Avenue to protest after enduring 20 days without water, with some households forced to spend up to R16,000 to fill water tanks.
The protest comes as frustration grows across parts of Johannesburg over ongoing water supply disruptions and the associated costly, unplanned expenses.
Speaking at a briefing on Wednesday morning, Johannesburg mayor Dada Morero assured residents the city is not facing a day zero scenario.
“High consumption in certain areas affects system stability. We are engaging with regions to encourage responsible water use to support system recovery and improve reliability,” said Morero, adding improvements are being observed despite persistent challenges.
Johannesburg Water MD Ntshavheni Mukwevho said the entity has introduced measures to reduce demand and strengthen infrastructure.
“Johannesburg Water has embarked on initiatives to reduce demand through pressure management and to improve infrastructure through increased investment, including a pipe replacement programme,” she said.
Senior manager of operations at Johannesburg Water Randir Singh said: “Efforts to improve and stabilise the Commando system are under way. These include ensuring the system is fully pressurised to enable a reliable water supply to reach all areas affected within the system.”
President Cyril Ramaphosa is set to deliver the 2026 state of the nation address (Sona) at 7pm on Thursday, when he will outline government’s key priorities for the year ahead.
TimesLIVE
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