Johannesburg civil groups unite to demand urgent action over worsening water crisis
Communities and organisations will gather at Council Chambers to confront leaders over water shortages, accountability, and human rights violations.
A coalition of civic and community organisations will gather in protest demanding urgent action to end the city’s deepening water crisis.
“Johannesburg’s water crisis has deepened into a human rights and economic emergency, crippling essential services, endangering public health, and eroding public trust,” said Dr Ferrial Adam, executive manager at WaterCAN.
Read more: Protest erupts in Coronationville over water shortages
According to Adam, millions of residents are enduring daily water interruptions, dry taps, and inadequate sanitation. Hospitals, schools, and small businesses are being forced to operate without water — a situation that has persisted despite repeated assurances and public commitments from the authorities.
The statement from the organising bodies accuses officials of neglect, mismanagement, and the diversion of public funds, saying the people’s right to water, enshrined in Section 27 of the Constitution, is being systematically violated.
“Over the past few years, we have heard many excuses for the lack of water — from too much demand, load-shedding, vandalism, old infrastructure, and no funds,” the statement reads. “These may all be true, but for the people on the ground these are mere excuses.”
The gathering will see community representatives voicing their experiences before officials are asked to respond to the listed demands:
- Ringfence water and sanitation funding to ensure revenues from water sales are used only for Johannesburg Water and related infrastructure, with a completed framework by December 2025.
- Restore and protect Johannesburg Water’s full budget, including a public accounting of the R4b swept from its accounts and assurance that contractors are fully paid.
- Implement and publicly track infrastructure repairs and expansions, with progress reports, timelines, and a monthly public dashboard for all ongoing and planned projects.
- Improve service quality and response times, including reducing repair times for bursts and blockages to 24 hours and establishing rapid-response units.
- Ensure transparent billing and accountability, investigating ‘air billing,’ fixing inaccuracies, and guaranteeing residents are charged fairly.
- Strengthen governance, oversight, and public participation, including independent civil society monitoring, transparency of tanker use, accountable board appointments, and national/provincial support to stabilise the water system.
Also read:Newlands residents fed up as sewage crisis near Esperanza School worsens since 2009
Organisers are urging residents to ‘stand together for accountability, transparency, and our right to water’ and to bring their voices, banners, and communities to the Council Chambers in solidarity.
The publication sent a media query regarding these demands and the response will be published once received.
- Date: November 01
- Time: 10:00am
- Johannesburg Council Chambers, Braamfontein
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