With little to no water for drinking or bathing, frustrated residents of Joburg south gathered on Wednesday outside the Johannesburg Water Southdale Depot, demanding answers to the water shortage in the area.
They are facing a water crisis in South Africa… and the demonstrations may become more frequent in the future because people are not frustrated with those who are paid to run the water distribution network.
Neither Rand Water nor Johannesburg Water were willing to comment, each said they were responsible.
Johannesburg Water spokesperson Nolwazi Dlamini said The Warga should contact Rand Water, or someone from the Robertsham community group who is part of the meeting.
‘There is no alternative’
Rand Water spokesperson Nhlanhla Skosana was sent The Warga to another Rand Water spokesperson, Makenosi Maroo, who said we need to speak to Joburg Water because “Rand Water pumps and supplies water. Please tell Puleng Mopeli: Joburg Water spokesperson”.
Robertsham Action Group interim convenor Moe Alli said the engagement had not produced results.
“The money was sent to Rand Water. We, as citizens, now have no alternative. The water that comes is not even enough to meet human needs,” said Alli.
“And residents don’t have access to Rand Water because we’re not clients. We just find ourselves in limbo.”
Also read: Rand Water: Dam full but city dry
Johannesburg Water told Alli he will meet Rand Water tomorrow.
“I hope we can get some answers,” he said. After days without running water, at least 50 aggrieved residents staged a peaceful protest outside the depot. They come from Robertsham, Crown Gardens and Turffontein, among other areas.
When residents say “we want water!” and held placards saying “Water is a human right”, many complained that Johannesburg Water and Rand Water could not say what the problem was, or when the water would be fully restored.
Watch the video below:
‘Human rights’
Robertsham resident Mohammed Khadir said since March 15, he has not had a single drop of water.
Since last October, residents have been experiencing water shortages and problems related to the lid being closed at night.
“We have demanded from the councilors and Joburg Water to provide answers but there is nothing to the effect of them trying to resolve our problems,” he said.
“Now we are here to try and get answers to why human rights like water are not available to citizens, but we have to pay every month for services that are not delivered.”
READ MORE: R6 million spent on water project but no diesel to run the pump
Khadir said residents were told tankers would be deployed but this was their own problem.
“We have a lot of elderly people in the community and we can’t reach the tankers. It’s very difficult for them to move the water… It’s just not fair,” he said.
United Independent Movement Councilor Fatima Abdool said Robertsham had been experiencing water problems for the past two years, since the introduction of the new Crown Gardens water tower, and the problem had become more serious in recent months.
Kajee said residents want a solution.
“We have been patient enough. No one is responsible, this is the problem,” he said.
‘leaking water’
Even as the people protested, what appeared to be clean water started gushing out suddenly from the broken pipe.
Residents, even more frustrated by this, shouted, “water leaking and wasted” and “we don’t have water but look at it”, while others sarcastically rejoiced at the opportunity to finally have “some” access to water.
After a meeting between Johannesburg Water, the Robertsham Action Group and ward councilors Rashieda Landis and Stuart Marais, then blamed the supply from Rand Water.
“If the system goes dry and starts filling the pipes, the water is not strong enough to enter the established roads. When the water gets there, there is a lot of demand. So the reservoir is closed,” he said.
“[Johannesburg Water] didn’t say there was a problem, they said they didn’t get the supply. This is the problem of people not having water.
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