The worsening water crisis in Gauteng is not only disrupting daily life for residents but is also fuelling a growing reliance on private water tanker operators, according to concerns raised during the South African Human Rights Commission’s inquiry into the province’s water supply failures.
The commission concluded its hearings on Thursday after receiving testimony from stakeholders including the City of Johannesburg, Rand Water, and several community organisations.
The inquiry is expected to determine whether constitutional rights violations occurred amid mounting allegations of municipal mismanagement and deteriorating infrastructure.
The City of Johannesburg revealed during proceedings that it spends approximately R130 million annually on water tankers to supply affected communities.
City manager Floyd Brink defended the municipality’s spending priorities, saying efforts are focused on restoring essential services.
“We are working towards core service delivery infrastructure — water and electricity,” Brink told the inquiry.
“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.”
However, Brink was unable to account for the reported R4 billion redirected from Johannesburg Water to the municipality, raising further questions around financial oversight.
The inquiry also heard that nearly half of Johannesburg’s water supply is being lost through leaks, ageing infrastructure, and illegal connections.
Sipho Mosai said municipalities were failing to maintain infrastructure and prevent large-scale water losses.
“About 33 percent of the water we supply to Gauteng is lost to leaks,” Mosai said.
“About 1.5 billion litres of water is lost every day. We need municipalities to fix the leaks. Education and awareness are key.”
As infrastructure failures worsen, residents have become increasingly dependent on water tankers for basic access to clean water.
The SAHRC described the situation as having reached “disaster levels” and indicated it is considering requesting an investigation by the Special Investigating Unit into possible sabotage, corruption, and collusion linked to the water tanker system.