‘Cut off illegal connections but don’t leave people without water,’ says Prof Muller

November 13, 2024 46

Image: Thulani Mbele

The Former Director General of Water Affairs, Professor Mike Muller, says the City of Johannesburg needs to find a balance when conducting its operations to disconnect illegal connections.

The scholar says while the move is commendable, residents should not be left completely without water, as a basic need.

Prof Muller’s remarks come as the community of the Phumlamqashi informal settlement near Lenasia, have threatened to reconnect themselves to the municipality’s water networks after their taps were left dry.

Chaotic scenes erupted in the informal settlement when Joburg Water kicked off its campaign, aimed at addressing the substantial challenges posed by unauthorised connections to the city’s water network.

Residents of Phumlamqashi however, were not happy by the sudden disconnection, saying the city failed to communicate with its leaders.

Police responded with rubber bullets to protesting crowds that were charging at the officials conducting the disconnections.

eNCA reporter Pule Letshwiti-Jones is on the ground in Lenasia South where rubber bullets have been fired. Some community members have also thrown rocks at police officials who are in the area to disconnect illegal water connections. #eNCA #DStv403 #QuestionThinkAct pic.twitter.com/q2MATnGE90

— eNCA (@eNCA) November 12, 2024

Speaking to our sister channel, eNCA, one community leader said they are not proud about being illegally connected to water, however the City has failed to address their calls to be legally connected.

Professor Muller lamented that illegal connections have a severely negative impact on the work by the city to service its residents.

The operation was implemented after Water and Sanitation Minister, Pemmy Majodina, labelled the province’s water crisis as self-inflicted pain, stating that Gauteng has failed to properly operate its reservoirs and resources.

The minister however reassured residents that Gauteng is not facing a drought, but in spite of that the province is in a crisis cause by lack of maintenance

The demand for water in Joburg has grown & continues to grow as a result of economic & population growth. @DWS_RSA anticipated this growth in demand and put in place plans to address it through the Lesotho Highlands Water Project. – Minister Pemmy Majodina#JoburgUpdates ^N pic.twitter.com/MDDh4mQdT2

— Johannesburg Water (@JHBWater) November 11, 2024