Sameera Casmod | sameerac@radioislam.co.za
13 November 2024 | 12:00 CAT
2-minute read

Image: Shangoni

The Minister of Water and Sanitation, Pemmy Majodina on Monday addressed water supply challenges and announced a detailed intervention during a press briefing in Johannesburg.

The briefing was held following a meeting on Sunday with Gauteng premier Panyaza Lesufi and Johannesburg Mayor Dada Morero, signalling a consolidated approach from all spheres of government to address the city’s water woes.

The plan comes amidst increasing water supply issues in the metropolitan city, including frequent daily water interruptions in many areas. One of the main causes of the problem is Johannesburg’s growing population.

The department provided an update on the progress of the Lesotho Highlands Project and announced a collaborative communications campaign to encourage residents to reduce water usage. The campaign will be managed by the Platform for a Water Secure Gauteng (PWSG), which is a multi-stakeholder initiative that aims to improve water security in Gauteng.

WaterCAN’s Dr Ferrial Adam, in an interview on Radio Islam, said that the organisation has welcomed the plans and said that while the province has enough water available, a lot of water is lost due to leaks in the failing infrastructure. An assessment of the City of Joburg’s water infrastructure revealed that 42 out of 87 reservoirs had leaks- 20 of which were major leaks.

WaterCAN has raised concerns about the poor maintenance of aging infrastructure and has queried the city’s claim that it has insufficient money, despite having loans from both the World Bank and the French Development Agency.

The department, however, announced a collaborative plan with the National Treasury to secure a loan to reduce non-revenue water by fixing the leaks—a plan that WaterCAN hopes will grant Joburg Water more autonomy.

“That’s an important development,” Dr Adam said, adding “Joburg Water is in charge of water, but they have no control over their budget… All the revenue that they collect goes directly to the City of Joburg, and they collect about R12 billion. Of that, the City of Joburg then gives them [Joburg Water] only R1 billion for fixing and changing pipes. Which is not enough… I’m hoping with the new funding that Joburg Water will have more control.”

Although the plan outlined by the Minister on Monday has been hailed as a good one, focus needs to be placed on the quality of water, which is compromised due to a “complete breakdown of our wastewater treatment works in the country”. Close to 70% of South Africa’s wastewater plants are not functioning well, allowing raw untreated sewage to flow into our rivers and seas.

There is an urgent call for all South Africans to reduce water consumption and use water sparingly.  Dr Adam encouraged all citizens to abide by the restrictions and expressed hope that collaborative work between all parties will lead to an enduring solution.

Listen to the full interview on Sabaahul Muslim with Moulana Sulaimaan Ravat.