Fahmida Choonara | fchoonara@radioislam.co.za
30 March 2023 | 19:00 CAT
2 min read

Photo Credit: ISSUU

Residents of the City of Johannesburg and the Ekurhuleni Municipality are in uproar after weeks of struggling with little to no water and unscheduled power cuts. Both municipalities blame the interruptions in water provision on problems on the side of Rand Water, which says the problem is low water levels at reservoirs.

Dr Antony Turton, South African water expert and fellow member at the Council for Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR), spoke to Radio Islam about the ongoing matter.

Dr Turton explained that municipalities were struggling with damage to infrastructure caused by the instability of leaders and municipalities led by unstable coalitions. He added that credible leaders willing to take a stand and provide solutions are needed instead of leaders blaming others for the consequences of failure that have brought about the magnitude of repercussions for Johannesburg and other regions.

Dr Turton said that since 2002 South Africa had become a water-restraint economy with the national water source allocated to 98% supply. No planning was done for upgrades to infrastructure and the reuse of water. The growing demand for water and a stop to the amount of supply leaves a mismatch between demand and supply, creating a crisis since 2002.

He further mentioned that politicians are responsible for our severe crisis, and society must act against elected officials. He expounded on the need for accountable, credible political leaders.

Speaking about long-term solutions, Dr Turton said we face the same shortages in the long run, if not worse. Therefore, society must invent measures to recycle our water under prevailing circumstances and start considering household water storage.

Listen to the interview with Annisa Essack on Your World Today here.