South Africa: Media Alert - Water and Sanitation Committee to Engage With City of Johannesburg Over Water Shortages

The Portfolio Committee on Water and Sanitation will convene a meeting tomorrow, Friday, 19 September 2025, with the City of Johannesburg, Joburg Water and the Department of Water and Sanitation to address the ongoing water shortages affecting the city and to assess the interventions implemented to mitigate these challenges.

Committee Chairperson Mr Leon Basson emphasised the significance of the issue and the context within which the meeting is called:

"The City of Johannesburg remains South Africa's economic centre, and the constant water shortages have a negative socio-economic impact on the residents of the city. It is important to understand the causes of the shortages, the short-term, medium-term and long-term intervention mechanisms implemented, as well as planned infrastructure investments aimed at ensuring a constant supply of water."

The committee has also noted concerns that, despite the existence of a practical Water and Sanitation Turnaround Plan, the budget allocated to Joburg Water for implementation has reportedly been withdrawn by the City. This decision has led to the suspension of critical water infrastructure projects. "The committee seeks to ascertain the rationale behind the decision to defund Joburg Water, as well as the mitigation strategies currently in place to remedy the ongoing water challenges," said Mr Basson.

The committee acknowledges the urgency of addressing the crisis, especially in light of recent water-related service delivery protests across the city. Also, the city will soon host the G20 summit, a critical international gathering that not only has economic spinoffs but also reputational implications for a country pinning its hopes on tourism as a driver of economic recovery and development.

The meeting aims to hold all relevant stakeholders accountable and to ensure that concrete, sustainable solutions are implemented to resolve Johannesburg's water supply issues

Details of the meeting

Date: Friday, 19 September 2025

Time: 08:00

Venue: virtual platform

Read the original article on Parliament of South Africa.