Johannesburg Water Crisis: Zille Warns Decades of Neglect Behind Collapse

• Johannesburg is facing another severe water crisis, with Midrand residents reportedly without water for more than a week
• Democratic Alliance Johannesburg Mayor-elect Helen Zille blamed decades of neglected infrastructure and budget mismanagement
• Johannesburg Mayor Dada Morero said the city is monitoring the system and applying operational measures to support recovery

GAUTENG- Johannesburg is grappling with yet another water crisis, as residents in Midrand have reportedly gone without water for over a week.

The situation has intensified frustrations across the city, with households and businesses struggling to cope with the extended shortage. The Democratic Alliance Johannesburg Mayor-elect Helen Zille sounded off on the growing crisis that has left residents frustrated.

Helen Zille comments

According to Eyewitness News, Joburg Water said it has stepped up efforts to restore supply. Zille described the crisis as complex and requiring a long-term, comprehensive approach.

Zille highlighted that the city’s water infrastructure has suffered decades of neglect, with ageing water treatment plants prone to faults that trigger widespread shortages.

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“In Selby, there are factories that have been without water for about 20 weeks now; they have a water truck that comes, and a lot of money in Joburg gets allocated to the water trucks. They have one of the oldest water systems in Joburg,” she said.

The former premier also criticised Johannesburg’s budget process, explaining that while funds are often allocated for water, much of the money is diverted into general accounts, leaving Joburg Water chronically underfunded.

“There are 22 critically endangered water systems in Johannesburg that are literally on their last legs because they haven’t been maintained in so long, and those pipes are going to have to be replaced,” Zille added.

Joburg Mayor comments

Johannesburg Mayor Dada Morero has taken to his X account on 5 February 2026 to give an update on the crisis. He said,

The City, through Johannesburg Water, continues to closely monitor system performance and apply the required operational configurations to support safe and sustainable recovery of water services in the affected areas."

Residents have turned to social media to vent their frustrations. A social media user shared a clip allegedly showing water tankers delivering water in the Midrand area. Although the video was later debunked as an old clip from a previous water crisis in eThekwini, it did not stop affected residents from flooding the comments section with complaints about Johannesburg’s ongoing shortages.

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Social media reactions to the viral clip

@NevondoRi said:

“I said four years ago that things would only get worse. That’s when I decided to relocate my family to Limpopo. I can face this on my own, but not my kids going through this embarrassing situation.”

.@African_Spring wrote:

"We are back to the 1800s, that's how bad ANC is for the country."

@Vums9c states:

"The country is deteriorating rapidly."

@Thimna said:

"This country is going backwards bit by bit, and we all take for a joke that it all started like this in other countries, only to get worse. Let's fix this while it's early."

@yolandi_britz commented:

“This is an infringement of basic human rights. Do not accept it as normal. NO. It’s planned and deliberate. Meet them at the voting stations.”

Articles about water crisis in Gauteng

A viral video circulating online shows Gauteng residents anxiously waiting for water deliveries amid ongoing shortages, with many describing the situation as “a huge problem” that reflects deepening challenges in South Africa’s water supply.

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Most parts of Johannesburg faced a severe water shortage in September 2025, as the city grappled with a growing crisis. Johannesburg Water announced that, starting from 14 September 2025, reservoirs and towers will undergo a 14-hour daily throttle to manage the strained supply.

Previously, Briefly News reported that Johannesburg Water announced that five suburbs would experience a 21-hour water cut from 6 pm on the evening of 19 November 2024 to the following day. The City stated that they would be fixing and maintaining leaking pipe fittings.

Source: Briefly News