DA calls for Johannesburg water crisis to be declared an emergency

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The City of Johannesburg continues to be plagued by constant water outages that last for hours or days at a time.

With the end of these constant outages not happening any time soon, the Democratic Alliance (DA) has called for the water crisis to be declared an emergency. The political party in Gauteng issued a statement on 12 February 2025 noting that the current situation “continues to deteriorate.”

JOHANNESBURG WATER OUTAGES CONTINUE

The South African reported on 11 February 2025 that Johannesburg Water will implement a nine-hour water outage on 13 February. This shutdown will affect more than 40 suburbs in the City.

All streets in various Extensions including Halfway Gardens Extensions, Erand Gardens Extension, Halfway House Extensions and more will have dry taps.

CONCERN OVER ONGOING WATER SUPPLY CRISIS

It is due to these never-ending water outages that the DA in Gauteng has expressed concern over the current water supply crisis.

“The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Gauteng is deeply concerned about the ongoing water supply crisis affecting parts of Johannesburg and Ekurhuleni. A system status report published by Joburg Water on 11 February 2025 shows critical reservoir levels across multiple regions.

“We are concerned that residents, who have already endured having no water, will once again be having empty taps for days and weeks once more,” their statement read.

‘WHAT RESIDENTS NEED IS DECISIVE ACTION’

The DA expressed that there isn’t proper planning to deal with the ongoing Johannesburg water crisis. DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Infrastructure Development, Nico de Jager MPL, said:

“The constant blame-shifting between Rand Water, Eskom, and City Power must end. What residents need is decisive action and proper contingency planning.

“Under a DA government, we would implement three essential initiatives. First, we would establish independent power suppliers at all major pump stations using solar and battery systems.

“Second, upgrade the ageing infrastructure by incorporating smart pressure management systems. Lastly, create a rapid response maintenance unit specifically trained to handle water infrastructure emergencies.”

DA GAUTENG CALLS FOR JOHANNESBURG WATER CRISIS TO BE DECLARED AN EMERGENCY

The DA has called for the provincial government in Gauteng to step in. This is to help ensure that residents get the basic human right of access to water.

“We call on the Gauteng Provincial Government (GPG) to declare this an emergency and implement immediate measures to protect this basic human right.

“The situation demands more than crisis management. It requires a complete overhaul of how our water infrastructure is managed and maintained,” the statement concluded.