Johannesburg Mayor Dada Morero has come under fire after extending the deadline to fix water challenges in Coronationville and surrounding areas by three weeks.
Morero and Joburg Water managing director Ntshavheni Mukwevho had visited the residents on Thursday to explain the root cause of water outages and update them on the progress in the area.
It was revealed that there are damaged pipes that need to be fixed. Previous attempts to repair them were unsuccessful, they said.
Mukwevho explained that the progress made is not the progress they had anticipated.
Initial deadline seven days
The initial deadline was seven days, but Morero told the community that the issues would take three weeks to resolve.
Morero, Mukwevho and MMC for Environment and Infrastructure Services will also be visiting Ebony Park residents to also update them on the water crisis on Friday.
ActionSA Johannesburg leader Marcel Coutriers said the move to extend the deadline showed that Morero is buying time and making endless promises to the residents instead of attending to the real issues.
Coutriers said the residents are still dealing with immediate challenges. These include failing services, crime, and poor infrastructure.
“Empty deadlines, extended without justification, only erode trust in leadership. This signals a failure to prioritise the urgent needs of the people,” said Coutriers.
He added that should Morero not meet a deadline he set for himself, residents cannot trust him to deliver on long-term promises.
DA slams inconvenience to residents
Belinda Kayser-Echeozonjoku, DA Johannesburg leader, also voiced frustration on the matter. Speaking to Sunday World on Friday, she said it was unacceptable that the deadline was pushed back while families in Coronationville remain without water.
“This shows total disdain for residents who cannot cook, clean, or run their business. In Selby and Marshalltown, factories have been without water for the seventh week now. And South African workers are likely going to lose jobs.
“Instead of rushing to Coronationville for a photo op to avoid the community march, the mayor should have delivered solutions. Johannesburg cannot afford leaders who make empty promises while residents suffer,” said Kayser-Echeozonjoku.
She said the city has failed to maintain infrastructure over the years. And the reservoir that feeds Sophiatown, Coronationville, and Westbury has been affected.
“The mayor publicly also confirmed that he redirected funds from Joburg Water to elsewhere in the city. We wrote to him to advise details of where these funds were allocated. To date, we have seen no response,” she said.
