Gaslighting, miscommunication and dry taps: Residents call for action on Joburg Water crisis

After almost a month of dry taps, residents in Westdene, Parktown, and Emmarentia took to the streets on Wednesday to demand action.

RELATED: IN PICS | Joburg residents, business owners protest city's prolonged water outages

Senior resident Rose shared that it has not only become a living crisis, but a financial burden of purchasing water tanks.

Neil, a business owner in Park Central, said his manufacturing business has been severely impacted, having to rely on expensive water deliveries amid tank shortages.

“We haven’t had water flowing out of our taps for eight months… we get very intermittent water deliveries from Joburg Water in tankers, and it’s just a terrible situation.”

WaterCAN Executive Director Dr Ferrial Adam described the situation as dire, with residents essentially living under ‘Day Zero conditions’.

The group has called for the water crisis to be declared a national disaster, unlocking much-needed funding, resources, and expertise to address the major infrastructure challenges.

The organisation also emphasised the importance of clear and accurate communication from the municipality.

RELATED: Civil society calls for Joburg water crisis to be declared a national disaster

“If we don’t give it the attention it needs, it is a very slippery slope from here. I think that the gaslighting and telling people that they have to use less just angers them more.

“No one is arguing that we don’t live in a water-scarce country… but you can’t put that out when vast areas don’t have water,” Adam said.

To listen to Dr Ferrial Adam in conversation with 702’s Bongani Bingwa, click the audio player below: