The DA has accused Johannesburg mayor Dada Morero of diverting R4b from Johannesburg Water at the height of a crippling water crisis, a claim the city strongly denies.
In a statement, DA Johannesburg caucus leader Belinda Kayser-Echeozonjoku said residents were forced to queue at water tankers while money that should have been directed to repairing broken infrastructure was moved to “general financial obligations”.
“This is an absolute disgrace. It borders on total recklessness by a mayor who doesn’t seem to care,” said Kayser-Echeozonjoku. The DA has demanded a breakdown of where the R4b went, why councillors were not formally briefed and how this will affect planned water projects.”
But the city has dismissed the claim as misleading. Khathutshelo Mulaudzi, Morero’s spokesperson, said no such diversion took place.
“The claim that R4b was taken from Johannesburg Water is false. The R4b is an investment target necessary for comprehensive implementation of the water management strategy in future financial years. It is not a sum that has been diverted or is missing; it is simply an estimate of what is needed over time,” said Mulaudzi.
“For the current financial year, Johannesburg Water has been allocated R1.7b specifically for infrastructure development and related projects,” said Mulaudzi.
Mulaudzi added that the city was working with the National Treasury to review the city’s financial model for a smooth ring-fencing of the surplus.
She said the overall city budget must accommodate a wide range of priorities, including staff salaries, routine maintenance and various service obligations.
Nonprofit organisation WaterCAN, however, says critical questions remain. Dr Ferrial Adam, the organisation's executive director, told TimesLIVE that the matter was first revealed through a parliamentary response and not by the DA.
“We know that R4b was moved from Joburg Water’s account. The key issue is whether this was done legally, did they follow National Treasury rules and get council approval, and where exactly is that money now being used?” said Adam.
WaterCAN has called for an end to what it described as a “sweeping arrangement” that allows such reallocation of funds. “The longer this continues, the harder it is to ensure Joburg has a sustainable and stable water supply,” said Adam.
Residents remain in the middle of the storm, with many still reliant on water tankers and waiting for lasting solutions to the city’s persistent supply problems.
TimesLIVE
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