Residents of Westbury and Coronationville in Johannesburg have once again taken to the streets, blockading roads with burning tyres and stones as frustration mounts over intermittent water supply.
Community members say taps run dry for days at a time, with water only available for a few hours on certain days, making daily activities increasingly difficult.
The latest action marks the first water-related protest in Westbury since September last year, when residents demonstrated for several days to draw attention to similar problems. Although supply was restored at the time and the area remained calm for several months, fresh interruptions have reignited tensions.
Residents now say they will continue protesting until a reliable and permanent solution is implemented.
Candice Gadi described the physical toll of relying on temporary measures such as water tankers.
“There is no water through our taps. What was meant to be a temporary solution, water tankers, has become permanent. Now I am starting to have spinal problems because I have to carry water from the road,” she said.
Elaine Kerr said elderly residents are particularly affected.
“You have to walk four streets to fetch water from a borehole. It is not fair for our age,” she added.
Johann Domingo told SABC News that the inconsistent supply has disrupted everyday life for weeks.
“It’s almost a month now we have no water. It comes on at 10 o’clock and by 4 o’clock it’s off again. You’ve got to do the washing, you’ve got to bathe, children have to go to school,” he said.
Residents say the rolling outages have left households scrambling to store water and relying heavily on alternative sources, as they call on authorities to urgently address the crisis.