The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Johannesburg, demands immediate, clear, honest and truthful communication from Johannesburg Water.
At the core of the issue faced by thousands of Joburg residents, as well as Councillors, is the Johannesburg Water Commando System. This system forms part of Johannesburg Water’s network and includes multiple pump stations as well as four reservoirs.
The reservoirs fed by the Commando system have been struggling with consistently low or non-existent water pressure for a prolonged period of time, and the situation is worsening.
Residents who depend on these reservoirs face daily struggles with an unreliable water supply. More problematic though, is the fact that complete water outages are becoming more common and all the more severe.
The unpredictability of whether there will be water for residents when they come home or wake up each day creates significant, and unnecessary worry and stress.
We urge Johannesburg Water to engage honestly with residents and Councillors, they must offer clear and truthful updates about the challenges and possible solutions regarding the Commando system.
Joburg Water’s repeated and unclear statements do little to illuminate the ongoing problems with the Commando system or offer any guidance on how these issues will be resolved.
We are left questioning whether Johannesburg Water is responsible for serving its clients—us, the residents of Johannesburg—or if Rand Water is trying to hide the truth. As their customers, we are entitled to honest and transparent answers. We need access to water now.
The South African Constitution makes it clear: “Everyone has the right to have access to sufficient food and water.” This right must be upheld, and swift actions must be taken to ensure all residents can rely on consistent access to water.
We will undertake an in depth oversight visit to gain answers to our questions, we refuse to accept these failures in communication.