Bold Words Must Be Matched with Urgent Action on Water and Sanitation
Credit:OUTA
According to WaterCAN, a water justice group, the City of Johannesburg Mayor’s 2025 State of the City Address failed to instill confidence that Johannesburg is treating its water and sanitation crisis with the urgency and transparency it demands. While the Mayor called for citizens to provide a vision of the city we want to see, his own speech raised more questions than answers.
The mayor’s emphasis on “building resilience and reliable water security through Joburg Water” and the claim that this programme commands the largest average capital allocation rings hollow without clarity on actual spending, especially regarding wastewater treatment works. “A budget increase from R1.2 to R1.6 billion is notable, but resilience cannot be built on vague figures and without tackling corruption directly,” said Executive Director Dr Ferrial Adam.
WaterCAN is alarmed by the mayor’s suggestion to rotate senior managers within the City’s departments. This proposal does not make sense given the deep institutional knowledge and specialised technical capacity required to address Johannesburg’s escalating water crisis. “Constantly shifting senior managers risks creating further instability at a time when the City desperately needs consistent, competent, and accountable management. We ask for transparency. What is the logic behind these changes?” said Adam.
Equally troubling is the clear misalignment between Johannesburg Water’s turnaround strategy and the City’s Integrated Development Plan (IDP). If these two strategic instruments are not aligned, it calls into question whether the City is truly committed to fixing the water and sanitation disaster or merely paying lip service to it. Planning without coordination and a matching budget is a recipe for continued failure.
The introduction of yet another implementation structure—the so-called “Bomb Squad”—also raises red flags. What does “removing constraints” mean in practice? Without a clear mandate or terms of reference, this initiative risks becoming yet another layer of bureaucracy rather than a driver of real change.
While WaterCAN acknowledges the scale of investment in bulk sanitation infrastructure, including the R4 billion Northern Farms Wastewater Treatment Works supported by the City and GIZ, we are compelled to stress that infrastructure alone does not equal justice. These projects will mean little if they do not serve all residents, particularly those in informal settlements who still lack basic services. The City must clearly outline how these projects will address existing inequalities in access, not just support economic development in a few areas.
WaterCAN is concerned about the Carlswald Reservoir project, approved by the Mayoral Committee in March 2025. While privately funded infrastructure can help ease pressure on the public system, transparency and fairness are essential. If the reservoir is being built solely to support the developers’ own housing projects, that may be acceptable. However, using it to bypass planning restrictions that exist due to limited water capacity is not. “This reservoir does not add to Johannesburg’s water supply—it simply allows new developments to draw from an already strained system. Will such developments be subject to the same water restrictions as everyone else? Or will private infrastructure allow affluent residents to avoid water cuts while poorer communities continue to suffer? This raises serious concerns about equity in service delivery and the risk of deepening exclusion through infrastructure,” said Adam.
The City’s plans to deploy artificial intelligence for leak detection may sound forward-thinking, but without full public access to the data and a firm commitment to prioritising poor and under-serviced areas, this becomes little more than tech-washing. Technology must not be used to create the illusion of progress. We call for real-time, open dashboards, clear leak response timelines, and public participation in monitoring. Anything less is an abdication of accountability.
Adam said WaterCAN envisions a working city where no child has to go to school without access to clean water, no household is left without sanitation for days on end, where people trust the quality of their drinking water, and communities are part of shaping the services they rely on.
“A city that works is one where infrastructure serves people equitably, governance is open and accountable, and dignity is not determined by your postcode,” she said.
WaterCAN calls for:
• Public clarity on major contracts like the WSSA agreement, including scope, cost, and KPI’s
• Transparent reporting on water and sanitation budgets, including wastewater treatment upgrades
• Community-led monitoring of service delivery, leak detection, and infrastructure planning
• Equity and inclusion to ensure informal settlements are not excluded from infrastructure rollouts
• Open access to service data through public dashboards to promote accountability and civil society oversight
• Rigorous oversight of developer-led infrastructure projects, including enforceable guarantees that they do not undermine public equity or environmental sustainability
• Alignment between strategic planning tools like the IDP with turnaround strategies to ensure consistent, coordinated action
Spokesperson on this issue:
Dr Ferrial Adam: WaterCAN Executive Manager
Tel: 074 181 3197
Email: ferrial.adam@outa.co.za
About WaterCAN
WaterCAN is a dedicated environmental organisation committed to preserving and protecting South Africa’s water resources. With a mission to promote responsible water management and raise awareness about water quality, the organisation empowers communities to become proactive stewards of their local water sources. If you would like to support our work, kindly Donate Here.
