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Gauteng’s Water ‘Day Zero’ Looms Large

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Gauteng’s Water ‘Day Zero’ Looms Large:

Dear Editor

The DA is very concerned that Gauteng’s potential water ‘Day Zero’ is not being taken seriously by municipalities across the Province.

Cooler weather, consistent rainfall, and reduced water demand over the holiday period may have spared Gauteng from water shortages in December, but by mid-January water consumption is back up to record levels.

This week as schools re-open, businesses resume full operations, and residents return to Gauteng, water consumption will continue to rise, and shortages will once again be on the horizon.

This looming crisis is not the fault of paying consumers, but the fault and result of failing municipalities that continue to lose around half of their clean water, to “non-revenue” water losses. Until this is corrected, clean water being lost in such high quantities will signal a ‘Day Zero’ for Gauteng.

Last week, the weekly consumption of water from Rand Water was the fifth-highest week in the past year. This amounted to 3,502 megalitres consumed – very close to November’s annual peak which saw 3,577 megalitres consumed in one week.

Alarmingly, the City of Johannesburg’s usage remains high, with close to 50% of its water lost to non-revenue water, including over 35% wasted through leaks. It remains entirely unacceptable that Johannesburg loses approximately 575 megalitres of water weekly, down the drain to leaks and faults.

The City of Ekurhuleni also recorded its highest weekly water consumption in over a year, potentially setting a new record, while Tshwane, though experiencing lower usage, is seeing demand steadily increase.

Reservoir levels, which recovered from 30% in December to 70% by early January, have already dipped below 70% due to the renewed demand. This stark warning highlights that Gauteng’s water crisis is far from over.

The solutions to Gauteng’s water challenges are clear, but the political will is missing. The following measures are essential:

Investment in Infrastructure
Significant investment is required to maintain water systems, address leaks, and modernise and expand capacity. Ongoing maintenance is not optional; it is critical to ensuring a sustainable water supply. Rather than ignoring maintenance until there is a failure, and then shutting the entire water system down for days, municipalities and water entities must move to an ongoing water maintenance.

Accountability in Governance
Transparent and effective oversight of water boards and municipalities is essential. The mismanagement of water resources, particularly by municipalities has compounded the crisis and must be addressed with urgency. We have seen absolutely no one in Gauteng – no political leaders or official – being held to account for the looming crisis.

Community Involvement
To fill the governance vacuum, residents are encouraged to report leaks, conserving water, and participate in awareness campaigns. Every drop saved contributes to the greater good.

Gauteng Municipalities have a choice: either learn from last year’s failures or risk repeating them.

If residents face water shortages in the coming months, municipalities will have only themselves to blame.

Regards

Stephen Moore MP
DA Deputy Spokesperson on Water & Sanitation

– MyZA

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The Oriental Plaza: A Phoenix in Fordsburg

If Johannesburg is a city of forced displacements, the Oriental Plaza is its most resilient response. While the Rand Club was built for the elite and Ponte for the “jet-set,” the Oriental Plaza was born from the trauma of the Group Areas Act—a piece of Apartheid legislation designed to geographically separate the races. Yet, in true Johannesburg fashion, what was intended as a tool of containment and financial ruin for the Indian community transformed into one of the most vibrant, independent commercial powerhouses in the country.

The story of the Plaza begins with the destruction of Pageview, affectionately known as Fietas. In the mid-20th century, Fietas was a legendary multicultural hub, centered around the bustling 14th Street. It was the city’s premier destination for textiles, clothing, and spices, where shoppers of all races would rub shoulders in a “jazzy, soulful” atmosphere. However, because Fietas was located so close to the white-only city center, the Apartheid government declared it a “white area” in 1962. The community fought back for decades, but by the 1970s, the bulldozers arrived. Homes were leveled, and the thriving traders of 14th Street were forcibly relocated to a purpose-built, modernist complex a kilometer away in Fordsburg: the Oriental Plaza.

The government’s intent was cynical: by moving the traders into a controlled environment with high state-mandated rents and strict rules on what could be sold, they hoped to break the back of Indian commercial dominance. The early years were devastating; many businesses folded, and the “Grand Bazaar” felt like a sterile warehouse compared to the street-level energy of Fietas. However, the traders refused to vanish. They eventually won the right to purchase their own shops, making the Oriental Plaza unique among South African malls because it is owned by the shopkeepers themselves rather than a corporate landlord. This ownership model changed everything. Without the burden of massive monthly mall rentals, the 360+ independent stores can offer prices that national retailers cannot touch, turning the Plaza into a “bargain-hunter’s paradise” that draws millions of visitors a year.