WATCH | ‘Imagine the arrogance’ - residents have no water while Lesufi books into a hotel

Residents in the south of Johannesburg who have not had water for five days have lashed out at Gauteng premier Panyaza Lesufi for his remarks that he makes alternative arrangements, such as going to a hotel for a bath, when battling water shortages.

While addressing journalists on the water challenges plaguing the province on Wednesday, Lesufi said: “I also experience water shortages, and in certain instances I had to go to a certain hotel so that I could bathe and go to my commitments. People think that if there is no water, then ourselves and our families get special water. We don’t.”

Swazi Dlamini, a resident of Ridgeway who last had water on Saturday, said Lesufi’s remarks were insensitive.

“It must be really nice to be Premier Panyaza, being able to go to a hotel to take a bath, when just this morning my partner had to request a 20-litre bucket of water through Uber so I could bathe.

“That’s no way to speak, especially when almost the entire province has been without water for days,” said Dlamini.

Another resident, Kwazi Nyusiwe, also criticised Lesufi.

“That’s a very arrogant thing to say. He is very out of touch (with reality) to say when he’s facing the same crisis he just goes to a hotel.

“That’s why I say it’s mandatory for our leaders to come and stay in our communities so that they can see how we suffer, instead of being up there in the northern suburbs behind their high walls. Imagine the arrogance,” he said.

Lesufi has since apologised for his remarks, saying he did not mean to offend anyone or cause a misunderstanding.

Ridgeway and Ormonde residents took to the streets on Thursday morning after being without water for five days.

They expressed frustration about the water crisis, saying it had severely disrupted their daily lives.

“My son didn’t go to school today because we don’t have water,” Dlamini said. “When Lesufi says he goes to a hotel, it means there is money. We are made to feel like fools.

“It’s very painful. You can’t deny a child the use of a toilet because there is no water.”

She described long queues at water collection points.

“We had to leave at 9.30 last night after queueing for almost three hours. It gets overcrowded, with people bringing multiple 5-litre and 20-litre containers just to get water to cook, flush toilets and bath. Meanwhile, our leaders go to hotels when they don’t have water,” said Dlamini.

Residents are relying on two homeowners in their area who have boreholes and wait in long queues to get their containers filled.

Another resident, Zinhle Maphumulo, who was queueing at a borehole, described Lesufi’s comments as disrespectful.

“He deserves to be held accountable. Which leader in his right mind talks about his privileges when we, as poor communities, have been without water for days?” she said. “He is very disrespectful and doesn’t care about the people.”