After holding more than five protests over the ongoing water crisis, the Melville community remains determined to keep up the pressure and let its voices be heard.

“One thing we decided early on in the protest is that it is not good enough for some members of the community to have water,” said Josh Nel, part of the Melville protest steering committee. “We are going to keep coming back, keep putting the pressure on Johannesburg Water until all of our neighbours have reliable access to water.”

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The protests have drawn residents from Melville, Westdene, Westbury, Brixton and Coronationville. Nel highlighted that they will not accept a situation where some suburbs have water while others do not. Nel highlighted that attendance has varied depending on when protests are organised. “There is a core group of residents who can move their work [times] around and attend. Weekend and afternoon protests have steadily attracted new faces.”

He stated that the unfortunate reality with the current economic setup is that it is almost a privilege to be able to exercise your democratic rights. Despite the challenges, residents still come out—even when it means giving up time they would otherwise spend at work. “It is amazing to see, it is not just people from Melville. We’re getting people from Sophiatown and Brixton, people are coming together.”

Support has also come from those unable to attend in person. Nel said that protest materials have been assembled by residents who have contributed what they can. “People have said to us, ‘I can’t take off time to be there on the ground with you, but I’ll bring you posters, I’ll bring you crates, I’ll bring you whatever I can to help make this more successful,’” Nel said. “Everybody’s contribution matters. It is not just about who is there and who is not.”

Also read: Melville residents take to the streets as water crisis sparks urgent protest

Communication and mobilisation have largely taken place through WhatsApp groups, which are being used to organise protests and collaborate with other suburbs. Social media has mainly been used by individuals sharing pictures and videos, said Nel.

The aim is to organise across areas, working towards a rotating protest where each suburb takes on hosting duties to show that the issue is not confined to one area. “We are not going to give them an easy time until we have real solutions to this problem.”

The publication sent a media query to JW for comment on the progress at Brixton Tower. The article will be updated once a response is received.

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