Johannesburg residents to march over water crisis

By Johnathan Paoli

Johannesburg’s civil society is drawing a line in the sand, with communities across the metro describing the escalating water crisis as a recurring reminder of deep municipal decay that can no longer be ignored.

A coalition of civic organisations, environmental groups, and residents, led by the Joburg Water Forum, is expected to march on the Johannesburg City Council on 1 November, demanding immediate action to address persistent water outages, failing infrastructure, and mismanagement of funds.

“This crisis is threatening lives, livelihoods, and dignity. Hospitals, schools, and homes across the city are going dry. Water is not a privilege; it is a constitutional right. As water activists, we cannot remain silent any longer,” said Dr Ferrial Adam, WaterCAN executive director and spokesperson for the forum.

Johannesburg is now at what activists describe as a critical crossroads, with years of neglect, underfunding, corruption and political instability having weakened the