JOHANNESBURG - Water supply failures in Gauteng are not just frustrating residents, they’re creating a booming business for water tanker operators.
That’s one of the key concerns raised as the South African Human Rights Commission wrapped up its inquiry into the province’s deepening water crisis.
The South African Human Rights Commission’s inquiry into Gauteng’s water crisis wrapped up on Thursday.
The City of Johannesburg, Rand Water and various community groups were among those who’ve testified at the hearings.
The commission will now assess whether constitutional rights violations took place, as concerns mount over municipal mismanagement in the province.
The City of Johannesburg is spending around R130-million a year on tankers.
Amid complaints of financial mismanagement, the municipality insists it’s prioritising service delivery.
"We are working towards core service delivery infrastructure - water, electricity," said city manager Floyd Brink.
"We don’t always get it right, but we are making sure we do away with non-essentials and luxuries to try and get it right.”
READ: Joburg Water probes illegal payments for tankers supply
Brink failed to explain what happened to R4-billion redirected from Joburg Water to the municipality.
In a city where 48 percent of water is lost through leaks and illegal connections, Rand Water says municipalities are failing in their duties.
"About 33 percent of the water we supply to Gauteng is lost to leaks," said Rand Water CEO Sipho Mosai.
"About 1.5 billion litres of water is lost every day. We need municipalities to fix the leaks. Education and awareness are key."
The less reliable the infrastructure becomes, the more dependent residents become on water tankers.
The SAHRC says the crisis has reached disaster levels, and it’s considering asking the SIU to investigate possible municipal sabotage and collusion in the tanker system.
- eNCA's Naomi Kobbie reports.