Angry Mellville Residents Take To The Streets Over Prolonged Johannesburg Water Crisis
- Hundreds of residents across Johannesburg flooded the streets in protest over a water outage that has brought daily life to a halt
- Demonstrators blockaded key intersections, chanting and carrying placards, as anger mounted over the lack of clear timelines and answers from Johannesburg Water
- Residents described the crisis as a violation of basic human rights, saying daily life has come to a standstill due to the crisis
Source: Original
JOHANNESBURG- Hundreds of angry, frustrated and thirsty residents from Johannesburg’s Melville, Parktown West and Emmarentia suburbs took to the streets on Wednesday, 11 February 2026, to protest against a prolonged water outage.
Residents are angry over the crisis that has brought daily life to a standstill. Carrying placards and chanting slogans, communities blockaded key intersections while passing motorists hooted in support of their demands for immediate intervention and honest communication from authorities.
According to Newsroom Afrika, demonstrators gathered at the busy corner of Main Road and 4th Avenue in Melville, turning the normally vibrant precinct into a scene of resistance.
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A similar action unfolded along Jan Smuts Avenue in Parktown West, where residents voiced their outrage.
Melville has been without running water for 24 days, with no official explanation for the failure. Johannesburg Water has repeatedly said it is “investigating”, but residents say they have received neither timelines nor practical relief.
As evening fell and the crowds dispersed, taps across the affected suburbs remained dry.
Residents share their struggle
For many families, the crisis has become unbearable. Briefly News spoke to Mellville resident Lihle Ndlovu, a mother of an eight month old infant.
Ndlovu explained that they have been without water for weeks. She said they have recieved no proper updates or clear timelines, just empty promises.
“We have children who need clean water every single day. We can’t cook properly, clean properly, or live with dignity like this. Buying water is expensive and not everyone can afford it,"she said.
Adding to the problem, residents complain that tankers are inconsistent and sometimes don’t even come.
"This is not a small inconvenience, it’s a basic human right. We need urgent intervention and honest communication. Enough is enough,”said Ndlovu
Residents say they will continue to mobilise until reliable supply is restored and officials provide transparent explanations for one of the longest water shutdowns the area has ever experienced.
Joburg Mayor comment on crisis
Johannesburg Mayor Dada Morero has defended his service-delivery record as the city’s water crisis deepens, rejecting calls for the situation to be classified as a state of disaster.
Morero dismissed claims that the outages have reached emergency proportions and accused opposition parties of exploiting residents’ suffering for political gain ahead of local government elections.
The mayor’s remarks come amid mounting criticism over the City’s failure to address Johannesburg’s ageing and collapsing water infrastructure. While conceding shortcomings, Morero insisted he has taken a hands-on approach, citing his involvement in resolving the recent Midrand outage as proof of his commitment.
“I’m still fit to hold the job,
“Over and above the water business, there are a number of other service-delivery tasks, particularly infrastructure development, which we continue to do,”said Morero
Political pressure on Morero is intensifying as access to reliable water becomes a central campaign issue, with frustrated residents demanding urgent and lasting solutions.
Political parties comment on the water crisis
- Helen Zille,the Democratic Alliance mayoral candidate for Johannesburg, has been highly critical of how the city’s water crisis has been handled, saying the ongoing dry taps and infrastructure failures amount to a serious failure of governance.
- The uMkhonto weSizwe Party has asked Parliament to convene an urgent debate on the worsening water crisis. The party called on Parliament to investigate how the crisis escalated, demand accountability from President Cyril Ramaphosa for commitments made in the 2025 State of the Nation Address, and identify immediate national interventions to stabilise water security.
Source: UGC
Previously, Briefly News reported that a man shared a video of people hoping to fill their buckets with water when a water truck visited their area. The video highlighted the worsening water crisis that has affected several parts of Gauteng. Some communities have reportedly been without running water for weeks, even months.
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Source: Briefly News
