‘We’re tired of the lies’: Phumlamqashi residents block Golden Highway over lack of water

Residents of the Phumlamqashi informal settlement are intensifying protests over a persistent water crisis, blaming the Gauteng government for their suffering.

They have vowed to intensify protests in the coming days and escalate the issue to the office of the president and the minister of water and sanitation.

Residents protest over lack of water in Phumlamqashi

The community blocked the intersection of Golden Highway on Monday and proceeded to the Lenasia South Civic Centre to hand over a memorandum to the Department of Water and Sanitation and The Presidency. 

Residents say their repeated pleas for access to water have been ignored.

Jeffery Mphohoni, chairperson of Mpulungisha said: “We are accused of using illegal connections, and while we acknowledge that some individuals may have connected illegally, it is the government’s responsibility to address this issue properly, not how this is being done.

“When we arrived in Phumlamqashi, we relied on communal taps, however, they have also shut those down. Simply shutting off the water supply by closing valves is not the solution. Currently, we are forced to rely on JoJo tanks and water tankers, which are insufficient.”

Watch: Residents of Phumlamqashi informal settlement block roads

In a letter to the Presidency, residents demanded access to clean running water through communal taps.

This is their second protest at the Civic Centre in two months. The previous one occurred in December.

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Last month, community members visited Johannesburg Water offices in Ennerdale to deliver a memorandum to the office of Johannesburg Mayor Dada Morero and Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi. They had given authorities 14 days to respond, but they say no action has been taken.

Water supply disconnected

In November 2024, Johannesburg Water, JMPD, and private security firms disconnected the water supply without notice. 

Mphohoni criticised this move and blamed the officials.

“They refuse to meet with community leaders. If our government truly represented the people, this march would not have been necessary.”

However, Johannesburg Water defended its decision in December, maintaining that it would not reconnect illegal connections. The utility also stated that it had deployed 45 water tankers.

Another community leader, Alfred Mxumnya, said the protest action was a last resort. 

“We have done all that was necessary by the leadership and the community to seek assistance from the officials, however we continue to be let down. We are frustrated; this suggests they are not taking our plight seriously and may be playing political games.”

ALSO READ: Phumlamqashi residents shut down major routes over water outages

During the protest, some community members took down a jojo tank and threatened to burn it.

Warning ahead of local government elections

He warned of political repercussions. 

“We know this is the highest office in the land, and we hope for a favourable response from the president. We are heading to the 2026 local government elections and we will ensure that we take action to invite all political parties and councillors from Phumlamqashi to discuss their interventions in this crisis. This will be a political decision for both the leadership and the community if they want us to vote.”

Some residents vowed to escalate protests after the mayor’s office only sent officials to receive the memorandum.

“We are tired of the lies from city officials. We gave the mayor’s office a memorandum before and they failed to act. Now they expect us to hand them another one? They don’t take us seriously. We will shut down the entire area until this issue is resolved. No cars will use the highway, and no businesses will operate until they address our demands,” a resident declared.

NOW READ: Joburg Water warns Phumlamqashi it will not reconnect illegal connections