Major Joburg highway could be blocked next week due to shut down

Residents of Lenasia South are threatening to shut down a major Johannesburg highway next week as the ongoing water crisis continues to leave households dry.

According to Rising Sun, residents of the Phumlamqashi informal settlement are planning a massive shutdown on 3 March 2025.

This is due to the ongoing water crisis in the area.

The shutdown is set to affect all operations on all roads in Phumlamqashi, the main road (Golden Highway). It will also impact Lenasia South on Sheffield Road.

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Law enforcement aware

Ward councillor Puseletso Celestina Nzimande confirmed to The Citizen on Wednesday that the Johannesburg Metro Police Department (JMPD) is aware of the situation.

She added that law enforcement and intelligence units will closely monitor the situation.

“The government is aware, and they know how to put safety measures [into place]… They have the right to march, but they must not disturb the people who are going to work,” Nzimande said.

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Failing Water Supply System

Nzimande said that the Lenasia South reservoir is not coping. He noted that illegal connections had been disconnected in the area.

According to the councillor, Johannesburg Water had previously implemented a rotational water supply schedule. The water supply was stopped at 1 pm and resumed at 5pm.

“Sometimes the water does not come back. After last week, when done [with] their [the city] maintenance, it really created more problems for us. There is no water in our area.”

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Residents want illegal connections

A major point of contention is illegal water connections in informal settlements, which residents argue are exacerbating the crisis.

“Residents were warned that if illegal connections were not addressed, one day we would wake up with our taps dry… Phumlamqashi residents now want the City of Joburg to bring illegal connections,” said Nzimande.

To mitigate the situation, the councillor stated that Joburg Water tried to hand out JoJo tanks to those affected. However, the residents refused.

“They don’t want JoJo tanks. The truck from Joburg Water started bringing water in [Phumlamqashi] from 5 o’clock in the morning until the evening, but still, they are not satisfied,” she said.

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