Joburg's water outages: DA suspects 'water shifting' has long been implemented

While the Gauteng government has resolved to use “water shifting” as a measure to supply dry areas in Johannesburg, some political parties have accused them of dishonesty.

Several areas in the city have been without running water for weeks now, with some having taken to the streets to air their frustration.

Last Friday, Deputy President Paul Mashatile announced the new strategy to tackle the ongoing crisis.

However, the Democratic Alliance (DA) believes water shifting is already underway without public knowledge, and is likely the main reason behind the city’s woes.

The DA has accused government of failing to provide residents with the transparency needed to plan their lives.

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The water crisis in Joburg has dominated headlines in recent weeks, with communities across the metro angered by a lack of access to the basic need.

The DA suspects government has long implemented water shifting, saying that would explain the rampant prolonged outages.

Water shifting is the practice of turning supply off in one area to stabilise pressure in another.

However, unlike the structured schedules of Eskom’s load shedding, Gauteng’s water cuts have left neighbourhoods turning on and off at random.

While on-the-ground oversight has been boosted, the DA is calling for transparency and the publication of schedules, so communities are not caught off guard.

Residents are urged to continue using water sparingly, while reservoirs in Midrand and the West Rand remain at critical levels.