Residents of Marise Crescent in Sunninghill have been left high and dry, quite literally, as delays allegedly caused by Johannesburg Water’s (JW) expired procurement contract continue to stall essential pipe repairs.

According to Ward 93 Councillor Vino Reddy, the community has been without water since Monday after a second pipe burst, despite initial repairs being completed over the weekend.

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“In an act of desperation, the kind residents of Marise Crescent have bought the pipes and materials to effect the repairs… just so that they can get water,” Reddy said. “It’s a crying shame that residents have to dip into their own pockets and fork out over R3 500 to purchase these parts and materials.”

One home has already been connected, and water is expected to be restored shortly. However, Reddy slammed the water utility for its lack of transparency and failure to communicate with the community.

The root cause of the prolonged delays, according to Reddy, is JW’s expired procurement contract.
“Since January, JW has been procuring materials and spares on a temporary contract. These contract issues have resulted in numerous delays in repairs, with parts and materials often being sought from other depots.”

Reddy also raised concerns over the long-standing infrastructure problems in the area. “I met with the Sunninghill community, JW Zandfontein depot management team, and Region A CRUM on site at Peltier to discuss the constant bursts on Peltier and Marise Turn,” he said.

“I have been requesting for the past two years that these pipes be renewed, and it has come to nothing.”
One of the residents who also contributed, Leigh Dyson, said, “We are aggrieved that what we pay to JW is a lot, only for them to not have material. I pay around R4 000 for municipal rates. It is so sad.

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“We do have water, but because we didn’t have the correct size of the pipe, the JW team had to make a plan with it, and, sadly, they had nothing. These guys work very hard with no support from management.”

Although officials promised to investigate the matter and indicated that pipes would be replaced in early June, nothing has materialised.

“Parts and materials shortages have ensured that this doesn’t happen,” Reddy added.
Frustrated by the ongoing delays and lack of accountability, Reddy questioned how long communities like Sunninghill must continue to suffer.

“The mayor, Dada Morero, famously introduced his bomb squad to solve issues in the city. Maybe it’s time for us to light the fuse,” he said.

JW was contacted for comment. The article will be updated once received.