Residents frustrated by constant water shortages
The community united their voices to shape the future of their ward.
The City of Johannesburg (CoJ) hosted a Community-Based Planning (CBP) session for Region F at the South Rand Recreation Centre on October 12.
Residents from wards 56, 57, and 124 gathered to discuss ward priorities for the 2025/26 financial year and provide input for the upcoming Integrated Development Plan (IDP).
Chaired by Ward 124 Clr Mongameli Mnyameni, the session began with welcome remarks from Ward 57 Clr Faeeza Chame. Other Region F ward councillors and Citizen Relationship and Urban Management (CRUM) senior personnel were also in attendance.
Mnyameni emphasised the importance of community involvement in the CBP process, stating, “The CBP allows residents to contribute to ward plans and identify key development areas. Community participation is vital to its success.”
He also acknowledged ongoing service delivery challenges in the wards and encouraged residents to raise pressing issues affecting their areas.
Residents were divided into groups to deliberate on community issues. Each session was chaired by a facilitator from the city’s Community Participation Unit and supported by CRUM.
Ward 57 saw the highest turnout, with participants highlighting issues such as persistent water shortages, high unemployment rates, poor infrastructure maintenance, road resurfacing, homelessness, and air pollution caused by burning fires.
Residents from the other wards raised similar concerns, particularly regarding water shortages affecting all three wards. Additional issues included long queues at clinics, shortage of essential medication, and businesses relocating because of crime and other service delivery challenges.
Dianne Kilian, a resident of Ward 56 and a ward member of the Parks and Recreation Committee, expressed her frustration with the ongoing water shortages in Linmeyer and South Hills.
“How are people supposed to survive when they don’t have water for over 10 days?” she asked.
She also noted the South Hills Reservoir has a crack and Clr Michael Crichton had been asking Joburg Water for years to fix it, with no results.
Kilian further highlighted the negative impact of the water shortages on property values and appealed to the city to ensure a reliable and consistent water supply.
Ward 57 resident Ntokozo Mavimbela echoed these concerns, stating it feels there is a lack of commitment to solving the water crisis.
All submissions were documented and will be included in the 2024/25 IDP process.
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