By Doreen Mokgolo
- DA leader Helen Zille says poor maintenance and collapsing water infrastructure is costing Gauteng billions and leaving homes dry
- Residents in Claremont have been without proper water supply for weeks, relying on tankers and bath tubs
DA federal chair Helen Zille says the people of Gauteng are being robbed of their human rights — by a crumbling water system.
She spoke to residents of Claremont, Johannesburg, during the party’s Human Rights Day event themed “Water is a human right”.
Zille said leaking pipes, ageing infrastructure and years of neglect have left thousands of residents without water for weeks at a time.
“Gauteng has had record high rainfall, but people still don’t have water because the municipality failed to catch and treat the rainwater,” she said.
She visited the community and handed out water containers to help residents store the little water they get.
Many have resorted to filling their bathtubs just to have water on hand.
Zille pointed to the Hestil Reservoir as a major failure, saying the structure is old, cracked and hasn’t been maintained by the City of Johannesburg.
“It can’t even be filled with water anymore. That’s why people here don’t have a supply,” she said.
She said billions of rands have been lost due to mismanagement, and accused the municipality of ignoring basic maintenance that could have prevented the crisis.
“Instead of investing in infrastructure, we’re sitting with a disaster. No one in 2025 should be living like this — especially in the economic hub of the country.”
Zille told residents that access to clean water is a basic right — and one that’s being denied in Claremont and many other parts of the province.
Pictured above: Helen Zille speaks to Claremont residents about water woes.
Image source: Supplied.
