By Johnathan Paoli
Joburg mayor Dada Morero has vowed immediate and long-term interventions to stabilise water supply in Westbury and surrounding areas following days of protests, road blockages, and mounting frustration over dry taps.
Speaking at a tense community meeting in Newlands on Thursday afternoon, Morero assured residents that the City was taking urgent steps to ease the crisis, including the deployment of water tankers and technical measures to restore supply.
“We are going to provide 15 water tankers immediately. We are making a definite commitment that with all interventions that we are going to be doing here, at least in the next seven days you will have a full supply of water,” Morero told irate residents.
Protests in Westbury, Coronationville, and Westdene escalated earlier in the week, with residents barricading major roads in response to weeks of intermittent supply.
Gauteng police commissioner Tommy Mthombeni urged residents to remain calm, confirming that he had personally asked Mayor Morero to address the communities in person.
“It is regrettable that some people were injured during the protests. We are engaging with police to ensure the matters are properly investigated. But what is of importance and commitment to us is that we must have access to water,” Morero acknowledged.
At the closed-door session ahead of the media briefing, community leaders pressed for clear timelines and workable solutions.
“We really just want water. We don’t need any more promises. We are drained and all we are asking is for the mayor to find amicable solutions with his members,” said Westbury community leader Melissa Davids.
Residents vowed to continue demonstrations until long-term solutions were implemented, highlighting deep frustration over years of unreliable supply.
Johannesburg Water managing director Ntshavheni Mukwevho explained that the city’s water infrastructure was under immense pressure, with the Commando System supplying the Hursthill, Brixton, and Crosby reservoirs struggling to meet demand.
“The main issue we have is that the bulk infrastructure for this area is insufficient. When demand outstrips supply across the city, this system suffers the most because of its weaknesses. That is why we are investing heavily in upgrading the infrastructure,” Mukwevho said.
Ongoing projects include the construction of a new 26-megalitre Brixton Reservoir and a 22-megalitre Brixton Tower, alongside a 4.5km bulk pipeline and two pump stations.
These projects are only 10% complete and expected to be finalised by December 2026. In addition, refurbishment of the Hursthill 1 and 2 reservoirs is set to begin in November and run until October 2026.
Morero confirmed that the City had allocated R800 million to address water infrastructure backlogs in the affected areas, with a broader city-wide refurbishment programme also underway.
Johannesburg faces a water infrastructure backlog estimated at R40–R45 billion.
“In Region B we’ve invested R800 million with the intention to fix your reservoirs and your infrastructure. This is a process into the future. But in the immediate term, we are making sure you have tankers, boreholes, and interventions to reduce the pressure,” Morero said.
The City is also exploring borehole installations at schools and old age homes, with repairs already scheduled for a local school borehole by Friday.
Despite admitting that water infrastructure problems were severe, Morero insisted that residents would see relief within a week.
“To get the levels high, it means we need another seven days, but we are saying to you, over and above, we’re going to try in the next two days to switch off other areas at night to try and push water here. We are committed to ensuring that by the seventh day, there will be full supply,” he explained.
The water shortages in Region B are mirrored in Ivory Park and other parts of Johannesburg, where high demand, ageing infrastructure, and limited reservoir capacity have left thousands without reliable access.
Johannesburg Water said high-lying areas remain the hardest hit when upstream reservoirs run critically low.
The City has appealed to residents across Johannesburg to use water sparingly, warning that consumption continues to outstrip supply capacity.
While the Mayor’s promises were cautiously welcomed, many residents remained sceptical given the history of delays and repeated assurances.
As the meeting closed, Morero reiterated his pledge.
“Your water will be there in the next seven days. My track record on the commitments I’ve made since I took office shows that when I promise, I deliver,” he said.
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