Latest news with #RandWater
The Citizen
2 days ago
- General
- The Citizen
Johannesburg south residents demand urgent action over ongoing water, electricity outages
Residents of Johannesburg south are demanding urgent accountability over the collapse of basic services in their area. Communities such as South Hills, Tulisa Park, and Linmeyer have endured months of power and water outages, sparking what many describe as a human rights crisis. In some parts, households have gone nearly 40 days without running water, with no water tankers provided. With the upcoming Rand Water infrastructure upgrades set to cause further outages, the city has yet to present a clear plan to supply enough water tankers or JoJo tanks. 'The situation in Johannesburg south is unacceptable, and residents deserve answers. We need a clear plan of action to address these service delivery issues – and we need it now,' said Sergio Isa Dos Santos, MPL. Residents say the city's lack of urgency is evident in the stark difference between well-serviced areas hosting major events and the prolonged neglect of working-class suburbs. They are calling for a public meeting with Johannesburg Mayor Dada Morero to explain the ongoing service failures and outline specific steps being taken to resolve them. Residents say they are tired of being left in the dark, and it's time for the city to act. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
TimesLIVE
2 days ago
- Business
- TimesLIVE
Joburg rates will rise in July
The City of Johannesburg has taken a decision to cushion its residents from high rate increases by not matching the tariff hikes by Eskom and Rand Water for the 2025/26 financial year. Instead of matching the proposed increase of 12.74% from Eskom, the city will limit its electricity increase to 12.5%. The electricity surcharge will remain at R270 and will only be charged once a month, and not every time a consumer loads electricity. However, residents will be paying more from July 1 for refuse removal, property rates and water. According to mayoral committee member responsible for finance Margaret Arnolds, the city has had to do a tough balancing act, juggling between prioritising the provision of basic services and ensuring that the most impoverished communities were protected. 'Tariffs are the lifeblood of local government finances. They make it possible for the city to clean our streets, electrify informal settlements, maintain infrastructure and expand all services. We also recognise that every rand charged must be justifiable, we don't want to take the money and not clarify what we have done with it,' she said. Arnolds said her administration has to be fair and responsive to the economic realities faced by residents and business. 'The work we do in setting these tariffs is not done in isolation. It is done within the framework of the government of local unity, a multiparty coalition committed to placing the people of Johannesburg above party politics.' Group CFO Tebogo Moraka said residents should not be worried about steep increases, revealing that discussions are being held at a national level. 'As metros, we are distributors of energy and water, so we get our tariff increases from the generators. We also need to play our part and ensure that the systems we are using are efficient. If there is efficiency, there could be savings that we can pass on back to the residents.'
The Citizen
13-06-2025
- General
- The Citizen
WATCH: Ekurhuleni unveils 5.5ML Northmead water tower
The MMC for Water and Sanitation, Thembi Msane, officially commissioned the towering 23-metre Northmead water tower on June 13, marking a major milestone in Ekurhuleni's efforts to improve water reliability. Located on Hospital Road, the tower, which can hold 5.5 megalitres of water, is expected to alleviate longstanding issues of low pressure and erratic supply in several neighbourhoods across four wards, 23, 24, 27 and 28, benefiting more than 105 000 residents in Farrarmere, Brentwood, Airfield, North Villa and Northmead. The total cost of the tower is R47 050 616. Despite facing numerous challenges, including delays caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and technical issues such as leaks identified at the base and kicker of the tower during the January testing phase, the project, which began in 2017, has finally proven fruitful. Marking the official start of the tower's use, a handover ceremony was held on site, attended by municipal officials, ward councillors, project stakeholders and a cheerful group of learners from Tom Newby School. In a symbolic gesture of commitment to water conservation, the children left colourful handprints on the tower wall, a visual pledge to care for the resource and the infrastructure. 'We want the young ones to remember that every project the City of Ekurhuleni commissions belongs to them, the future generation. This is a call for them to take ownership and help protect our water infrastructure,' Msane said. She added that the 5.5-megalitre tower is a game-changer for the City of Ekurhuleni. 'It will not only improve water pressure but also serve as a critical storage facility to boost the resilience of our bulk water system.' Msane said the department remains committed to working with Rand Water to accelerate infrastructure upgrades and manage water shedding more effectively. 'We will continue ensuring that all complaints are resolved within the prescribed turnaround times and promote a strong culture of water conservation,' she said. Ward 27 Councillor Lornette Joseph welcomed the commissioning as a win for local residents. 'The tower means residents will now have about 72 hours of stored water in the event of supply interruptions,' she said. Lucky Kgohloane of Phitla Projects, which took over from another company in 2021, said the occasion was an exciting moment, as they've received magnificent financial support from the municipality since the beginning. He commended the residents for their patience and for giving them a chance. Also Read: FOLLOW-UP: Water tower filled but still not operational Also Read: Water tower being filled, expect interruptions from 23:00 on Sunday At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
Daily Maverick
11-06-2025
- General
- Daily Maverick
Sasolburg's 16-day water shutdown upends schools and community
A planned 16-day water shutdown in northern Free State initiated by Rand Water for mandatory dam safety and reservoir cleaning, has forced primary schools to send pupils home early and left thousands of residents queuing at water tankers. While a planned two-week water shutdown is under way in the Northern Free State, pupils in Sasolburg primary schools are being sent home early, at 9am or 11am, since there is no water in the taps. Alternative water supply, brought by tankers, is insufficient. The water shutdown in Sasolburg, Zamdela and Vaalpark in the Free State, initiated by Rand Water for mandatory dam safety and reservoir cleaning, began on 30 May and is scheduled to end on 14 June. A notice issued by the Metsimaholo Local Municipality on 15 May said the work 'can no longer be deferred' because it was required 'to comply with stringent regulatory safety standards designed to protect both the infrastructure and the public'. In a 29 May media statement, Rand Water emphasised that the project was progressing 'as scheduled' and formed part of broader efforts 'to upgrade infrastructure, increase capacity and improve plant availability, ensuring a more reliable water supply in the long term'. Impact on education While Rand Water works on mandatory Dam Safety Evaluation and cleaning of Sasolburg Reservoir No 1, educators are counting lost hours in the classroom. Primary schools in Sasolburg have been dismissing pupils at 9am or 11am since the outage began. According to educators and local NGO representatives, the disruptions are affecting assessments, daily teaching, and student wellbeing. 'The schools received a letter from the department instructing them that school must be dismissed at 11am and the learners must bring bottles of water because although there are boreholes in some schools, the water is not drinkable,' said a representative from the JumpStart Foundation, an NGO working with schools in the area, providing mathematics training for foundation phase teachers. The water crisis forced the foundation to cancel workshops planned for this week. 'It's unfortunate, especially in a subject like mathematics where consistent instruction is critical,' said the representative. The timing of the outage has intensified pressure on both learners and educators as it coincides with a critical assessment period. 'Some teachers can't conduct assessments at all, not only because of absenteeism, but also due to the limited instructional time. There's very little learning happening during these shortened days,' she said. The education department has promised catch-up programmes once the water supply is restored, but concerns remain about the long-term impact. Daily Maverick sent questions to the Free State education department. They had not responded at the time of publication. 'We already lost time during the regular April holidays and an additional week due to public holidays. This latest disruption has pushed teachers and learners even further behind. I don't know how they'll catch up,' the representative said. Tankers under pressure Dr Gino Alberts, Communications Manager at Metsimaholo Local Municipality, told Daily Maverick that alternative supplies were being prioritised for key facilities. 'The municipality, in collaboration with Rand Water, has implemented a range of alternative water supply measures, including the deployment of water tankers to wards that have experienced direct supply disruptions,' said Alberts. These include Wards 1, 2, 6, 7, 13, 19 and 21, and Alberts said that schools and essential services within these areas had been prioritised, 'We recognise the concern about schools closing early due to water shortages,' said Alberts. 'It is important to note that while water tankers have been dispatched daily, the difference in delivery mode (tanker vs piped supply) does present logistical constraints.' 'The tanker system, while helpful, cannot match the continuous flow and volume provided by direct taps, especially for a population of approximately 54,800 residents. The number of tankers currently available is also limited by budgetary constraints, which we are actively reviewing to improve responsiveness. Queues form quickly when tankers arrive, particularly during early-morning and late-afternoon collection windows. Working adults sometimes miss the brief delivery slots; parents report rationing household water for cooking and minimal washing. Alberts conceded that 'fleet and financial limitations' restricted the number of vehicles on the road, but said the municipality was 'actively reviewing' its budget to boost responsiveness. Because demand fluctuates sharply across 21 wards, fixed schedules have proved impossible. 'Each deployment is coordinated in close consultation with ward councillors, who are informed as tankers depart from collection points,' Alberts said. Residents were urged to stay in touch with their councillors for updates. Maintenance According to Rand Water, the maintenance involves cleaning and conducting a statutory inspection of the Sasolburg Reservoir. This reservoir is classified as a Category II dam under the National Water Act (Act 36 of 1998). As part of this classification, the dam is subject to safety inspections every five years, in line with regulatory standards. 'It is also important to mention that the maintenance work has been strategically scheduled during the low-consumption months of May-July to minimise disruptions and better manage the potential impact on water supply to our customers,' the water entity told Daily Maverick. Rand Water said that, although redundancy measures were in place, the scale of the maintenance work affected multiple municipalities. In line with the pipeline's operational standards, pressure had to be reduced at the Sasolburg Reservoir. 'The objective of this planned maintenance is to increase capacity and improve plant availability, reliability and operational efficiency, thereby supporting a more resilient and adaptable water supply network in preparation for anticipated increase in supply volumes during the high-demand seasons (August-January),' said the water entity. When asked how it planned to prevent similar large-scale disruptions during future maintenance projects, Rand Water said that such maintenance was necessary to ensure the overall efficiency of the water supply network. It was also a legislative requirement. As a result, consumers in the affected municipalities might experience intermittent water supply during these periods. 'Rand Water has established a Joint Operations Committee with the affected local municipalities to ensure management of alternative water supply,' said Rand Water. Hospitals, clinics and schools top priorities Under Metsimaholo's tiered priority system, hospitals, clinics and schools top the list. Fezi Ngubentombi Hospital has a dedicated JoJo tank that municipal teams refill, while tested borehole water is made available for drinking. Clinics receive refills on rotation, and 20-litre containers are supplied to those without fixed tanks. Alberts said daily coordination meetings with Rand Water and the provincial health and education departments allowed 'real-time adjustments based on changing demand and logistical considerations'. A temporary bypass pipeline feeding the Sasolburg reservoir, though narrower than the main line, had also 'helped lessen the overall impact of the shutdown'. 'This is not just inconvenient; it's unjust' 'There is no doubt that infrastructure maintenance is essential. But there is a complete disconnect between the technical work being done and the harsh realities faced by people on the ground,' said Dr Ferrial Adam, executive director of civil society organisation WaterCAN 'In communities hit by prolonged water outages, the burden is especially heavy on the elderly – many of whom are forced to use their Sassa grants just to pay others to carry water for them,' she said. 'This is not just inconvenient; it's unjust.' Lessons for a drier future Even before this outage, Sasolburg's water system was vulnerable to leaks and peak-demand shortages. The present crisis, Alberts admits, has 'reinforced several vital lessons': Storage: 'The need to invest in additional water storage infrastructure, such as new or expanded reservoirs, to enhance resilience during interruptions.' Maintenance: Proactive leak detection to curb distribution losses. Public awareness: Community campaigns on conservation and responsible use. Planning: Predictable, equitable water-shedding schedules for future emergencies. Stakeholder forums: A structured platform linking Rand Water, municipality, schools and civil society for faster response when things go wrong. Adam agreed that massive maintenance projects demanded more than just engineering plans, saying, 'they require clear communication, on-the-ground support, and dignified solutions'. She said communities needed: 'Water is a basic human right. Maintenance must never come at the cost of dignity.' DM
The Citizen
04-06-2025
- Business
- The Citizen
‘War on Leaks' programme: SIU reveals R2.2bn budget balloons to over R4bn
The SIU has uncovered irregular contract extensions and procurement irregularities in its investigation into the water and sanitation department. The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) has revealed that the budget for the War on Leaks programme has increased to more than double the initial plan, and the number is still rising. The SIU appeared before the Standing Committee on Public Accounts on Wednesday, where it provided an update on its investigations into the Department of Water and Sanitation. According to the SIU, the department is riddled with: Contracts that balloon from the initial budget Irregular appointments of service providers Contractors who fail to perform contractual duties Irregular contract extensions Procurement irregularities Possible fraudulent claims Overpriced goods and services Payment for work never performed Manipulation of the payment system for overpayment and incorrect VAT charges Officials in the water sector who certified and commissioned work that was not performed Irregular expenditure In April last year, President Cyril Ramaphosa signed Proclamation 164 of 2024, authorising the SIU to investigate allegations of serious maladministration in the department and to recover any financial losses suffered by the state or the department. ALSO READ: SIU is not done with NLC yet, as more corruption allegations emerge The scope of the investigation covers any unlawful or improper conduct by department officials or employees, as well as applicable suppliers or service providers, or any other person or entity that has caused or may cause serious harm to the public's interests. 'War on Leaks' The War on Leaks Artisan Training programme was launched by then-president Jacob Zuma in 2015 with the aim of training 15,000 youths to reduce water losses through leaks. The project was signed in 2015 by then Water and Sanitation Minister Nomvula Mokonyane for Rand Water to curb about R7 billion in water leaks across the country. During Phase one of the project, 3 000 pupils were trained during 2015/2016, during Phase two, 5,000 pupils were trained during 2016/2017, while in Phase three, 7,000 pupils were set to be trained during 2017/2018. The second phase of the War on Leaks project was launched by Mokonyane in Durban in February 2017. ALSO READ: SIU authorised to probe water department's 'war on leaks' project The approved budget for the programme was R2.2 billion. However, the SIU identified that R4.7 billion had been paid out so far, the SIU told the committee on Wednesday. The SIU said this number continues to increase due to its forensic account quantification process. Rand Water received R1.7 billion, which includes R40 million in unexplained and unsubstantiated contingency fees. This investigation is ongoing. SIU on Rooiwal Wastewater Treatment Works Rooiwal made headlines in 2023 after a cholera outbreak which killed 23 people at Hammanskraal, with controversial businessman Edwin Sodi's R295-million tender contract to upgrade the plant's infrastructure being scrutinised. At the time, the department found that 'the failure of the Rooiwal Wastewater Treatment Works to meet the desirable final effluent quality for discharge to the Apies River, which in turn flows into the Leeukraal Dam', played a critical role in the Hammanskraal water crisis. ALSO READ: SIU investigates two municipalities for 'serious maladministration' over street light deals The SIU has since been investigating the refurbishment and upgrade project, of which only 60% of the first phase was completed before it was abandoned in 2020. In this project, the SIU identified 65 role players for high-level profiling, including officials, private individuals and entities. Nine officials were flagged for further lifestyle audits due to assets purchased and indications that they were living beyond their means. The SIU said that 27 officials were also flagged for further lifestyle audits due to assets purchased or living beyond their means, as well as suspicious transactions. Since 2012, the department's cash and assets yet to be recovered amount to R264.1 million, while the actual cash or assets recovered amount to R569.1 million. The department's contracts or administrative decisions that were set aside or deemed invalid amount to R1.1 billion. The SIU prevented a potential loss of R717 million. From 2008, the SIU has received 14 proclamations relating to the water and sanitation sector. Investigations into nine of these proclamations have been finalised, while five are active. READ NEXT: Rooiwal tender award: Tshwane officials absolved in Edwin Sodi's company progression
