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Stuff from Johannesburg

Plan To End The Water Crisis Chaos

Statement by Ald Cilliers Brink, Khathutshelo Rasilingwane MPL and Helen Zille – DA Gauteng Metro Mayoral Candidates:

Gauteng’s worsening water crisis has exposed the consequences of poor planning, neglected infrastructure and an abject failure by those in power. On Wednesday, 4 November, voters have an opportunity to take a different approach to water security in our province.

From unchlorinated water in Bronkhorstspruit to recurring outages in Ekurhuleni and dry taps in Johannesburg, residents are paying the price for municipal failures.

In Tshwane, water went without chlorination for weeks, exposing residents to contaminated drinking water, all because of the ANC-ActionSA Coalition’s inability to listen to and read reports. In Johannesburg residents across the City struggle without reliable access to water while the entire system collapses under the ANC’s mismanagement. Meanwhile, Ekurhuleni communities continue to face supply disruptions despite substantial budgets allocated to repairs and maintenance.

Ekurhuleni’s fourth-quarter performance report recorded R605.9 million budgeted for water repairs and maintenance in 2025/26, but only R483.1 million in expenditure. Non-revenue water stood at 32.52%, while just 48.84% of water complaints and callouts were resolved within 48 hours, against a target of 85%.

Residents deserve water.

On 4 November, voters can choose between the status quo of recurring failures or a DA government committed to accountability and practical solutions.

In Ekurhuleni, the DA would prioritise preventative maintenance, urgent repairs, transparent communication and responsible financial management. We would push for a three-hour leak-response commitment and ensure that every rand allocated to water is accounted for and spent on getting water in people’s taps.

In Tshwane, we would pursue full accountability for the Bronkhorstspruit contamination, address procurement failures that leave essential supplies such as chlorine dependent on individual suppliers, and bring in credible private-sector expertise to improve the operation and maintenance of water and wastewater treatment plants.

In Johannesburg, the priority must be infrastructure maintenance to restore reliable water services. That is how we will ensure that vulnerable residents are not left to cope with prolonged outages without assistance.

We recognise that years of infrastructure neglect cannot be reversed overnight. But voters can choose a government that has solutions and actually implements them.

On Wednesday, 4 November, voters have an opportunity to change the direction of Gauteng’s metros and demand a government that puts residents first. Water is on the ballot the 4th of November, and only the DA can get clean water back into taps, with the support of the voters of Gauteng. Together let’s fix this crisis.

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The Wilds: A Sanctuary of Stone and Steel

The Wilds was officially opened to the public in 1938, carved out of the rocky “koppies” (hills) of the Witwatersrand. Unlike the manicured lawns of the city’s more traditional parks, The Wilds was designed to showcase South Africa’s botanical heritage. It is a vertical garden of sorts, featuring steep stone paths that wind through forests of yellowwood trees, proteas, and ancient cycads. At its highest point, the reserve offers one of the most spectacular views of the Johannesburg skyline, where the brutalist towers of Hillbrow seem to rise directly out of the prehistoric-looking vegetation.

However, like many of Johannesburg’s public spaces, The Wilds fell into a period of deep neglect during the late 1990s and early 2000s. As crime rates rose and the city’s maintenance budgets shifted, the reserve became overgrown and was perceived as a “no-go zone.” The waterfalls stopped running, the stone paths crumbled, and the once-vibrant greenhouse became a skeletal ruin. For nearly two decades, this incredible piece of real estate sat largely abandoned, used only by a few brave locals and the occasional film crew looking for a “wilderness” setting within city limits.