The City of Johannesburg is in the grip of a service delivery crisis, and the symptoms of it are everywhere, with leadership seemingly absent to resolve the problems.
Last month a strike by Pikitup casual workers turned parts of the city into a rubbish dump, with waste collection not taking place for days. The result of the action was blockades at multiple depots, including Midrand, Randburg, and Marlboro, causing significant waste collection disruptions.
On January 26, water supply problems began in Midrand when Rand Water carried out emergency repairs at the Palmiet pump station, which required shutting down critical pump infrastructure.
Despite repairs being completed on time, a leak identified later at a reservoir extended the water supply problems in the area for more than a week. While supply problems were also experienced in Tshwane and Ekurhuleni, they were minimal compared to the Midrand area.
In recent days, more areas have since been hit by water supply problems, including Emmarentia, where residents said they have not had water for at least eight days. They have been left to rely on water tankers which do not supply enough to meet their daily needs.
Residents in other areas, including Melville and Westdene, also claim to have had dry taps for more than 20 days. As a result, they have planned a protest action to voice their dissatisfaction.
During all these crises, Joburg Water announced that its workers had embarked on an unprotected strike since Friday, which has slowed down repair work across the city. The water utility said the action by employees has placed additional strain on its service delivery and operational stability.
This situation and an unrelated power cut which has hit the Joburg CBD, leaving businesses reeling after a Bree Street substation fire, are symptomatic of a city in crisis.
The problems are unfolding despite interventions announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa when he appointed a presidential working group to tackle collapsing infrastructure and services in the city.
The progress made by the intervention team remains unknown except for a few road improvements that were witnessed before the hosting of the G20 summit last year. What is undeniable, however, is that persistent problems, including prolonged water shortages and lack of waste removal, are a direct result of governance failure by the city.
The leadership of the city, led by mayor Dada Morero, must be held to account for these failures that negatively continue to affect residents’ lives. The people of this metro deserve better.
