Deadline Day for Joburg Water

Mpho Sekharume

... Leadership under pressure to submit turnaround strategies to parliamentary committee

The clock has run out for the City of Johannesburg and Joburg Water to submit a definitive, funded plan to resolve the mounting water crisis, as demanded by the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Water and Sanitation. The 14-day ultimatum - which was issued following a scathing critique of the municipality on 19 September 2025 - lapses tonight, therefore putting immense pressure on the city’s leadership to account to the millions of residents facing persistent outages .

The portfolio committee’s directive was a direct response to what the committee chairperson, Leon Basson, described as a ‘lackadaisical attitude’ towards a crisis rooted in decaying infrastructure and alleged financial mismanagement. The committee therefore specifically demanded two key documents: a detailed Water and Sanitation Turnaround Plan with measurable timelines, and audited financials providing an account of the entity’s capital reserves.

The urgency of the situation is heightened by the highly controversial issue of the R4-billion funding diversion which was allegedly shifted from Joburg Water’s Capital Expenditure (Capex) budget to the city’s central coffers - a move Parliament suggested effectively defunds critical infrastructure projects. Joburg Water had previously presented a long-term R33-billion 10-year strategy aimed at addressing the R26.61-billion infrastructure renewal backlog and cutting the debilitating 44.8% non-revenue water rate - comprising water lost to leaks, bursts, and theft).

However, the efficacy of this plan was severely questioned due to the missing funding. City of Johannesburg Mayor, Dada Morero, while acknowledging that city funds are routed through a central account, faced harsh criticism for his refusal to ‘ring-fence’ water funds, leaving contractors unpaid and projects stalled. He assured the committee that financial reforms are underway but only “at a pace and scale the city can afford.” - a response Parliament deemed insufficient.

The response was deemed insufficient by the committee, with Basson warning that failure to demonstrate that adequate funding is being redirected to Joburg Water will lead to immediate further action, including inviting the National Treasury and the Auditor-General to investigate the alleged illegal diversion of funds. With the deadline closing at midnight tonight, Johannesburg residents are not only waiting for the documents to be submitted, but for tangible solutions to the restoration of their daily water supply.

The city’s submission will also determine the immediate oversight action the committee chooses to take next against the executive leadership.