JOHANNESBURG - Johannesburg’s water crisis is no longer just a service delivery issue it’s an economic emergency.
In Selby, businesses claim they are on the brink of collapse after nine months without reliable water supply.
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Furniture factory owner Lionel Feldman says he has already let go of 15 staff members and is now considering shutting down completely.
"They have deprived us of water for almost a year… Words cannot describe our anguish, misery and despair and our total frustration," Feldman says.
Just down the road, Nandi Tutani runs a recycling company. She says businesses feel abandoned.
"Some of the businesses have stopped operating. Some have had to lay people off. They need to prioritise because if we shut down its jobs affected," she says.
Business owners say the lack of communication from the city has been frustrating.
Johannesburg Water says severe damage to a major 900-millimetre pipeline linked to the Hector Norris Pump Station is causing the crisis.
The utility says patch repairs are no longer viable and a full pipe replacement is under way.
A contractor has been appointed, but no firm completion date has been given.
- Nabeelah Shaikh reports.