DA mayoral candidate Helen Zille has launched a court bid against the City of Johannesburg (CoJ) and Joburg Water, alleging that the city’s deepening water crisis is not merely the result of failing infrastructure, but a consequence of financial mismanagement and deliberate underfunding that has crippled the utility’s ability to maintain and repair its collapsing network.
In papers filed before the Johannesburg high court on May 8, the DA argues that while residents endure prolonged outages, leaking pipes, sewer overflows and failing reservoirs, billions of rand that could be used to stabilise the system remain inaccessible to Joburg Water under the city’s financial controls.
Zille ultimately seeks an order compelling the city and Joburg Water to implement the utility’s own 2024 Water Turnaround Strategy, which the DA says has largely been ignored since its adoption.
In her founding affidavit, Zille describes Johannesburg’s water crisis as “man-made”, saying the collapse of basic services is the result of years of neglect and governance failures.
“Johannesburg is facing an unprecedented water crisis. Whole suburbs go without water for days, weeks and months. At the best of times, water supply is intermittent and unreliable,” the affidavit reads.
Click here to read more.
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.