Water crisis continues for 17,000 people in Lenasia South

Residents of Phumla Mqashi informal settlement near Lenasia South fetch water from a truck on Friday afternoon. Many had waited for hours to get water. Photo: Silver Sibya

Residents of Phumla Mqashi informal settlement near Lenasia South are struggling to access water after Johannesburg Water cut illegal connections last week Tuesday, sparking protests in the area. Protests continued till Thursday

The water utility confirmed that about 17,000 people live in the informal settlement.

“I just want water. If they could install tap water, I’m willing to pay. Now we are being treated like chickens. How long are we going to live this life?” asked resident Nandipha Madadasi, who was waiting for the water truck in a long queue with two buckets.

Johannesburg Water said in a statement there had previously been water tanks but “due to the ongoing land invasions … these tanks were vandalised”.

Spokesperson Nombuso Shabalala said ten 5,000-litre water tanks and four roaming water trucks have been deployed since Friday, and more water tanks will be installed.

However, residents say these measures are insufficient.

“When some residents come back from work, they don’t find water in the [rain] tanks, and they leave early in the morning before the trucks arrive to refill them,” said community leader Dumisani Khalimele.

During GroundUp’s visit on Friday, dozens of residents, including children, waited in long lines. When a water truck finally arrived, it departed after just five minutes, leaving many without water. The driver said he had to go to another distribution point.

Ward 120 Councillor Puseletso Nzimande (ANC) said some community leaders initially prevented water trucks from delivering, insisting on illegal reconnections. “They tell us residents don’t want water trucks, but that’s not true because people desperately want water,” she said.

Nzimande explained that formal water infrastructure cannot be discussed yet as the area still needs to be assessed for human settlement suitability.

Some residents living near Eskom power lines will be relocated to Ward 22 in Vlakfontein, where a development is underway to accommodate them.

Community leaders are now trying to establish a committee to engage with the Johannesburg mayor about the water crisis and also housing issues, according to Khalimele.

In the meantime, residents continue to struggle with insufficient water supplies for basic needs like cooking, cleaning, and sanitation.

GroundUp experimented with AI Claude 3.5 Sonnet in the editing of this article.

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