Ivory Park residents protest against Johannesburg's ongoing water crisis

The community of Ivory Park on the outskirts of Midrand in Johannesburg embarked on a water shortage strike, blocking roads with debris, burning tires and dustbins.

The Thursday protest brought traffic to a standstill in the area, preventing workers and learners from reaching their destinations; anyone attempting to leave was turned back.

A community member who wanted to be kept anonymous said all they want is a stable water supply.

"We don't want to talk to the councillor, we have done that before and it did not yield any results, we just want water."

Due to the strike, major businesses in the area including Spar Ebony Park and Busy Corner Ebony Park have closed shop out of fear of looting.

Speaking to Newzroom Afrika, Priscilla Supe, the councillor of ward 111, which includes Ebony Park, Kaalfontein, and Umqhele, said she has reached out to Johannesburg Water and the Member of the Mayoral Committee for Infrastructure, Jack Sekwaila to help solve the issue as quickly as possible.

However, the community demands a meeting with Premier Panyaza Lesufi as they believe he is better positioned to address their issues.

The frequent water shortages lead to school closures because flushing toilets become unusable.

In a separate incident, the communities of Westbury and Coronationville have embarked on the second day of their water shortage influenced strike, the community has continued to block roads with burning tires and rocks.

The community members can be heard chanting "we want water" with some walking with their hands up signalling that they don't pose a threat to the law enforcement officers dispatched to disperse the crowd and a plea to the police to not shoot them.

In a video shared on social media, teenagers and young adults can be seen running with allegedly stolen items in their hands.

Meanwhile, the government has acknowledged that they are aware of the problems that led to the protests in Westbury and Coronationville.

Government spokesperson, William Baloyi said: "Government acknowledges the seriousness of these concerns and is working on long-term, sustainable solutions to ensure reliable water supply to the affected communities."

The City of Johannesburg, through Joburg Water, has announced medium-to-long term measures aimed at sustainably addressing the water challenges.

These include measures to mitigate against the strain caused by low water levels in some of the reservoirs supplying the affected areas, and work by Joburg Water to complete and commission the new Brixton reservoir and tower by the end of October 2025. Furthermore, Joburg Water is working on stabilising the system through managing demand with the aim to improve reservoir levels.

Government has directed City of Johannesburg to implement immediate interim measures to address the current water supply challenges. Communities are urged to allow these measures to be carried out without disrupting the workers, as any interference will delay their implementation.

Baloyi called on the protesting communities to refrain from becoming violent or damaging infrastructure, saying that would be a serious setback.

"Government respects the right of communities to raise their grievances through protests as enshrined in Section 17 of the Constitution, however residents have the responsibility to exercise this right peacefully and without damage to property. The destruction of infrastructure and acts of violence only delay the very solutions that communities are demanding."

IOL previously reported on The City of Johannesburg's water crisis where Watercan's Dr Ferrial Adam indicated that South Africa is not taking care of its water resources.

The Star