Auditor-General exposes Johannesburg Water’s collapse, while politicians promise G20 without water problems

AfriForum is calling on Johannesburg Water and the Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality to accept responsibility for the ongoing problems with the water system in Johannesburg. This follows the Auditor-General’s (AG’s) presentation to parliament on 18 November showing a water system sliding into failure. Meanwhile, Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi’s assurance that there will be no water disruptions around Nasrec during the G20 Summit is proof of how far political priorities have diverged from residents’ daily reality.

“Government can guarantee stable supply for international delegates, but ordinary people are left with dry taps, burst pipes and declining infrastructure. It is a stark illustration of whose needs matter most,” says Marais de Vaal, Advisor for Environmental Affairs at AfriForum.

According to the AG’s findings, Johannesburg Water logged more than 33 000 pipe bursts in the last financial year, up from about 20 700 the year before. Water losses due to leaking pipes and poor maintenance still exceed 32%, amounting to R2,8 billion in lost revenue from water sales in 2025. Because the network cannot cope, the Johannesburg Metro paid more than R30 million for emergency water tankering, which is money that residents will never recover. Tankering has become a symptom of collapse of the water system and not a service.

The situation at the Goudkoppies Wastewater Treatment Works is even worse. The AG found rusted pipes, broken mechanical equipment and deteriorating structures that contribute to unlawful pollution of the Harington Spruit. This breach of both the National Environmental Management Act and the National Water Act show how basic environmental safeguards are ignored. For three consecutive years, Johannesburg Water has also failed to prevent irregular and wasteful expenditure or to resolve repeat audit findings.

AfriForum demands that officials rectify the maintenance backlog, resolve material irregularities and take responsibility for the failures confirmed by the AG.

“The theme for the G20 Summit is solidarity, equality and sustainability. Reserving a reliable water supply only for global events while ordinary residents bear the cost of government’s mismanagement counters each of these ideals,” concludes De Vaal.