JOHANNESBURG - They may live in the richest square-mile in Africa, but these residents are fed up.
Sandton, north of Johannesburg, has been hit by repeated water cuts and poor service delivery.
From hospitals going without water for weeks to residents facing dry taps daily, communities say Joburg Water is failing them, and they want answers.
Now, councillors from five wards are demanding urgent answers from Johannesburg Water.
WaterCAN executive manager Dr Ferrial Adam says what’s happening in Sandton is not unique in fact, it reflects a wider crisis in the city.
“Everyone wants to blame Joburg Water and rightfully so, because they are the utility responsible for ensuring residents have water. But the reality is, the City of Joburg has left Joburg Water cash-strapped," she says.
While the lack of funding is often blamed, Adam argues the core issue lies in Johannesburg’s ageing infrastructure and very little is being done to address it.
"We have called for the reinvesting of funds which have since been approved by the council last year in December. But i feel the City of Joburg is dragging their feet and we need to push for that to happen faster," she says.
Adams added that National Treasury must also step in and ensure municipalities receive sufficient grant funding to tackle such basic service delivery issues.