The Speaker of Council for the City of Johannesburg, Cllr Margaret Arnolds, engaged residents on the ongoing water challenges affecting the City on Thursday, 12 February 2026, at a Civic Education session in Doornkop.
Also in attendance were Ward 129 Councillor Cllr Phumlile Shange, officials from CRUM Region C, and representatives from various City entities and departments. Community turnout was encouraging, reflecting strong public interest in the matter.
Cllr Arnolds said the water crisis originated from an explosion at Rand Water, which disrupted water pumping to reservoirs. The incident caused widespread system interruptions, impacting not only Johannesburg but also Ekurhuleni, Tshwane, and extending as far as Mpumalanga and Rustenburg.
“These are very large bulk water pipelines, and the damage caused a severe interruption to the system,” said Cllr Arnolds. “The matter is currently being addressed, and the Mayor, Ministers, and Joburg Water officials are conducting site visits across affected regions. At present, the system is about 60% stabilised.”
She said one of the resolutions involves water throttling, whereby areas experiencing less disruption will temporarily receive reduced supply to allow water to reach areas with severe shortages.
Cllr Arnolds emphasised that the crisis is not solely due to ageing infrastructure but is largely the result of the Rand Water incident. “Joburg Water cannot take all the blame for this situation,” she said.
Community members raised serious concerns about the impact of water throttling on daily life, including school absenteeism, disruptions at clinics, and challenges in conducting funeral services.
While acknowledging these hardships, Cllr Arnolds appealed to residents to remain patient and considerate. She urged communities to save water and to share fairly when collecting water from City-provided tanks so that everyone can access the limited supply.
She also said a meeting will be held with all City of Johannesburg councillors to ensure they are fully briefed on the situation. This, she said, will empower councillors to communicate accurate and factual information to their communities.
The Civic Education session further empowered attendees through presentations on various City offerings, including Debt Relief Programmes, Extended Social Programmes for the unemployed and indigent residents.
An official from City Power, Sibusiso Nkala, cautioned community members against illegally connecting electricity from streetlights to their homes. He said streetlight infrastructure is designed to power lighting globes and it is not suitable for housheld use such as cooking, posing safety risks and system damage.
Written by Thembelihle Radebe