The Gauteng province have faced a significant water shortage for some time, compounded recently by water leaks amid the ongoing crisis.
Political parties in the province have expressed concern as these issues increasingly affect government facilities.
Following the 2024 elections, ActionSA Gauteng has undertaken substantial visits to various regions, consistently identifying poor water and sanitation infrastructure in government facilities as a recurring issue within the communities.
Similarly, the Democratic Alliance (DA) has conducted assessments and uncovered numerous leakages, primarily in Johannesburg and Ekurhuleni.
The DA stated, “Clean water goes to waste in the city of Johannesburg while residents are advised to use water sparingly.”
ActionSA has highlighted the critical state of water infrastructure in public schools across Gauteng, such as Maxeke Secondary School in Emfuleni and Coronationville Secondary School in Johannesburg.
They emphasised that massive water leaks and inadequate infrastructure in these provincial government-owned facilities significantly contribute to the ongoing water crisis in the province.
This critique calls attention to the urgent need for action to address these infrastructure issues and help alleviate the broader water challenges faced by Gauteng. Funzi Ngobeni, ActionSA Gauteng Caucus Leader, noted.
“Sewage leaks in government buildings also exacerbate the problem and represent a major health danger to the public. These breaches expose vulnerable populations, such as children, the elderly, and the sick, to harmful and unsanitary conditions, endangering their health.”
ActionSA urged the Gauteng government to prioritise immediate repairs of leaks in public facilities, upgrade water infrastructure in government buildings, hold municipalities accountable for maintenance rather than shifting blame to Rand Water, and conduct regular transparent audits on water usage in all public institutions to reduce wastage.
Moreover, ActionSA called for better management of public resources to effectively address Gauteng's water crisis and relieve residents from ongoing stress.
“Finger-pointing and short-term solutions are no longer sufficient to handle this situation. Better management of public resources is what the people of Gauteng deserve.
“Residents and businesses face additional stress the longer water leaks in government facilities continue. We cannot let those already facing water restrictions suffer even more because of poor management,” said Ngobeni.
In response to the escalating water challenges, Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi marked his first 100 days in office on Wednesday, October 28, by addressing critical issues such as illegal water connections and ageing infrastructure.
He imposed Level 1 water restrictions and launched a real-time water data hub to improve transparency and empower residents to manage their water use effectively.
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