By Palesa Nguqu
Angry residents of Westbury and Coronationville in the west of Johannesburg took to the streets to protest against the ongoing water crisis that has crippled their communities for years.
This comes after City of Joburg, Joburg Water and Gauteng provincial government authorities promised that water supply to the rea would be restored but taps remain dry.
However, residents said they have not had a drop of water for a few months now, saying that the City of Johannesburg has completely neglected them.
Tensions escalated when some demonstrators hurled bottles and stones at police, who responded with rubber bullets, stun grenades, and teargas.
Earlier on Wednesday, Johannesburg Metro Police Department spokesperson Xolani Fihla said motorists faced heavy traffic disruptions in Westbury, Coronationville, Westdene, Martindale and Sophiatown, as major routes were blocked with burning tyres and debris. Residents also barricaded Fuel Road, a key connector between the areas, with rocks and flames.
Outside Rahima Moosa Mother and Child Hospital, streets were littered with broken glass and spent stun grenades.
Only ambulances and patients were allowed to pass.
Protesters carried placards reading: “We want water.”
“All we ask for is water. There’s gun violence here every day and we don’t see this kind of response, but now we have an innocent protest and this is what we get,” said one resident.
Others accused authorities of neglect.
“They give us water for two or three days, then nothing. No one tells us what the problem is. It’s been three months without a drop of water,” an elderly resident said.
“Every woman needs water. Every child needs water. It’s a basic right, and we shouldn’t have to burn things to get it,” another added.
Tragically, the protests turned deadly.
An 81-year-old man was killed after being struck by rubber bullets, while a 15-year-old was also wounded, raising fears about escalating violence.
Earlier in the week, communities in Ivory Park and Ebony Park in Midrand staged similar protests.
Watercan, a water network movement, said on Wednesday that Johannesburg residents are fed up with excuses, finger-pointing, and silence from the city’s leadership. The movement called on the Mayor of Johannesburg to urgently account to the people of the city.
Dr. Ferrial Adam, Executive Director of Watercan, said the water crisis has been worsened by a funding shortfall at Johannesburg Water, which has crippled the system, and the ongoing blame game between Rand Water and Johannesburg Water.
“Johannesburg cannot function without water. Families, schools, businesses, and health facilities are being crippled by outages that have become the norm. From Coronationville to Ivory Park, the voices of residents are a warning: the people of this city will not remain silent while their most basic right is denied,” Adam said.
Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi said government had heard the residents’ cries.
“The matter of water has been brought to our attention. The executive mayor has proposed immediate interventions, including engaging all water suppliers, particularly Rand Water,” said Lesufi.
“Yesterday, we held an emergency meeting with the Minister of Water and Sanitation, all our mayors, and the MECs responsible for this function to find urgent solutions. I want to assure the communities raising their voices on the streets that you have been heard.”
DA Gauteng leader Solly Msimanga condemned the loss of life, blaming the crisis on governance failures rather than water shortages.
“The Democratic Alliance (DA) extends its deepest condolences to the family of the 15-year-old child who tragically lost their life during today’s protests over Johannesburg’s ongoing water outages. We will be engaging both the child’s family, and the 81-year-old who was also wounded during the protests,” said Msimanga.
Msimanga pointed to Johannesburg’s severe water losses from leaks, burst pipes, and illegal connections, and called for a comprehensive Infrastructure Masterplan.
“Johannesburg is losing nearly half of its water to leaks, burst pipes, and illegal connections – problems that are not attended to with the urgency they demand. These massive technical losses have pushed the City’s water consumption above the quota it is licensed to receive from Rand Water,” said Msimanga.
“The DA demands that the comprehensive Infrastructure Masterplan we’ve been asking for, for years, be brought to the table without delay.”
Joburg Mayor Dada Morero apologised to affected communities, saying the city was working tirelessly to restore water supply.
He appealed for patience, while acknowledging the severe hardship residents are facing.
National government also urged calm.
Deputy government spokesperson William Baloyi said authorities were implementing both interim and long-term solutions.
“The City of Johannesburg, through Joburg Water, has announced medium-to-long term measures aimed at sustainably addressing the water challenges,” said Baloyi.
“These include measures to mitigate against the strain caused by low water levels in some of the reservoirs supplying the affected areas, and work by Joburg Water to complete and commission the new Brixton reservoir and tower by the end of next month (October 2025). Furthermore, Joburg Water is working on stabilising the system through managing demand with the aim to improve reservoir levels.”
Baloyi said Government has directed City of Johannesburg to implement immediate interim measures to address the current water supply challenges.
He added that communities are urged to allow these measures to be carried out without disrupting the workers, as any interference will delay their implementation.
“Government respects the right of communities to raise their grievances through protests as enshrined in Section 17 of the Constitution, however residents have the responsibility to exercise this right peacefully and without damage to property,” said Baloyi.
“The destruction of infrastructure and acts of violence only delay the very solutions that communities are demanding.”
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