The City of Joburg has put aside R800m to refurbish the water system supplying Coronationville and surrounding areas, which Joburg mayor Dada Morero has described as “badly damaged”.
This follows three days of protests in the area, with residents blocking roads with boulders and burning tyres.
Morero said the community would have a full supply of water after seven days, but this would require “throttling” other surrounding areas during the night to bring water levels back to normal.
“This is what I am reporting from the discussions I have had with Joburg Water so that we ensure that there is no interruption of water post the seven days,” Morero said when he addressed the Newlands community on Thursday afternoon.
“The problem is that the water infrastructure in what they call the Commando [Road] System has been badly affected and badly damaged, which requires refurbishment. We have since put aside a budget of R800m focusing on this area so that we can resolve once and for all the water challenges in your area.”
However, he said, the city will be supplying 15 water tankers in the area in the meantime.
“Over and above, we are going to try for the next two days to switch off other areas at night to try and push the water to reduce that seven days, after which you will have a full supply of water. We are also going to provide 15 water tankers immediately.”
The problem is that the water infrastructure in what they call the Commando [Road] System has been badly affected and badly damaged, which requires refurbishment. We have since put aside a budget of R800m focusing on this area so that we can resolve once and for all the water challenges in your area.
— Joburg mayor Dada Morero
However, residents refused to listen to the solutions and also rejected the water tankers, saying they would cause more problems. They instead demanded permanent JoJo tanks. Others accused Joburg Water of incompetence, saying the crisis was the result of poor maintenance.
As Morero prepared to leave to address the Coronationville community, tensions flared over the “double booking”, with residents saying they were being disrespected by the mayor.
Joburg Water MD Ntshavheni Mukwevho said that the city’s bulk water infrastructure was in urgent need of refurbishment.
“The problem lies in the system itself, which has weaknesses in its bulk infrastructure,” he said. These weaknesses show whenever there are challenges with overall water levels, usually driven by demand exceeding supply.
“When the upstream reservoirs or bulk suppliers drop, this particular system — covering areas like Coronationville, Westbury, and surrounding suburbs — struggles to get enough water. That’s because it relies heavily on good upstream reservoir levels to ensure sufficient volumes reach this side.”
In the short term, Mukwevho said, the city would rely on system management to restore balance in the water supply.
“Our intervention is to manage supply through throttling or temporarily closing off other connected systems, because all these networks are interconnected. By doing this, we can channel more water into the affected area. This process will continue for the next seven days, and we believe it will help the system recover within that period,” he said.
Looking at the long-term solution, Mukwevho said everything depended on upgrading the bulk infrastructure.
“The city is already investing in this. First, there is a project for new reservoir towers, scheduled to be commissioned in October 2025. Second, we are working on upgrades to the bulk pump station and related infrastructure, due for completion in December 2026.
“Lastly, we are refurbishing two reservoirs — Hursthill 1, which will be completed in October 2026, and Hursthill 2, which will be completed in May 2026. These projects will strengthen the bulk infrastructure and improve the system’s overall reliability.”
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