Poor maintenance and lack of replacement of infrastructure have been pointed out as some of the reasons for Joburg’s water problems.
The mayor of Johannesburg, Dada Morero, is expected to appear before parliament’s portfolio committee on water and sanitation on Friday.
Morero is expected to be quizzed on the water challenges in Johannesburg and various interventions his government has placed to ensure that residents receive water.
In a media statement on Thursday, DA member of parliament (MP) Stephen Moore described the water situation in Johannesburg as a crisis.
“He will also appear with the MD of Joburg Water to ensure the full truth on what is happening in Joburg. For months, the DA has exposed the City’s failing water system,” he said.
What will MPs ask Dada?
Moore said Morero will face a number of tough questions from MPs.
“We want to know why he has left his crisis to continue to deteriorate? Whether he will support Johannesburg Water in a workable plan to fix this, and by when? How he justifies, as Mayor, cutting billions from water infrastructure when people can’t even rely on a working tap? Johannesburg’s residents have been patient for too long. They deserve answers, not excuses,” said Moore.
The party also wants clarity on a R4 billion that has allegedly been redirected from dealing with water challenges in the City of Johannesburg.
What happened to the money?
The Citizen has seen a letter from the DA’s caucus leader in Johannesburg, Belinda Kayser-Echeozonjoku, to the Mayor requesting clarity on these funds.
“I am writing to you on behalf of the Democratic Alliance Caucus and the residents of the City of Johannesburg who are currently experiencing a water crisis.
“The Democratic Alliance (DA) Johannesburg Caucus has noted with grave concern your public confirmation that R4 billion was reallocated away from Johannesburg Water to address unspecified ‘general financial obligations’ of the City,” said Kayser-Echeozonjoku.
She further described the redirection of these funds as troubling.
“Particularly as it comes in the midst of a citywide water crisis where residents are forced to rely on water tankers for their daily needs. Funds intended to improve and secure our water infrastructure should never be diverted without the knowledge and approval of Council, which remains the highest decision-making body in any municipality,” said Kayser-Echeozonjoku.
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Holding mayors to account
Andre Duvenhage, a political analyst, told The Citizen that it is embarrassing for a sitting mayor to be called to parliament to account for service delivery issues.
However, he said this was a demonstration of the accountability that the constitution requires from sitting public representatives.
“It is now clear that the mayors, although they have full autonomy, all act within the prescripts and the framework of the constitution.
“They have been underperforming, and it now seems that the ANC is taking this seriously. We saw that special NEC this weekend, where they addressed councillors and told them how to do their jobs. I think the ANC is very much concerned about what is going on,” he said.
ANC support declines in municipalities
Duvenhage said the ANC is now panicking about the constant decline in support since the 2016 local government elections.
“If they go below 30%, they will lose control around the majority of their municipalities in South Africa, now this means they have to govern in some sort of a coalition if they want to survive.
“Surveys indicate serious resistance in the metros, and Johannesburg is one of the most problematic metros at the moment,” he said.
No stranger to controversy
Morero has been criticised for what some have described as a nonchalant attitude towards service delivery in the city.
He was elected mayor of Johannesburg last year with the help of ActionSA.
However, after his election, he told News24 that people should not expect major changes while he is in office.
At the time of this interview, there was a water outage in Randburg, which affected thousands of people.
In 2022, Morero was elected mayor for a short period of time. He was criticised for saying every home in Johannesburg should have a JoJo tank. At the time of these comments, the city was hit by a water crisis.
The City of Johannesburg has recently procured at least 20 water tankers to assist communities facing water challenges.
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