Johannesburg’s water supply crisis: Phumla Mqashi residents battle scarcity and health risks daily

Residents fill up on drinking water at a neighbour’s borehole in Phumla Mqashi informal settlement. (Photo: Julia Evans)

By Julia Evans and Nonkululeko Njilo

24 Jan 2025

In Johannesburg’s Phumla Mqashi informal settlement, thousands of households rely on a few water tankers and are forced to travel across settlements or to neighbouring suburbs to fill water drums since illegal connections were cut.

Residents of the Phumla Mqashi informal settlement, whose name loosely translates to “rest tenant” in isiZulu, find no relief in their daily lives.

Since Johannesburg Water cut illegal connections last November, the community has been left to rely on just 53 water tanks to serve an estimated 17,000 households. With so many residents depending on so few tanks, they empty quickly, and when water tankers do arrive to refill them, many residents distrust the water, reporting diarrhoea and skin irritations.

Phumla Mqashi residents fill containers with water from a Johannesburg Water tank. (Photo: Julia Evans)

Phumla Mqashi is one of several informal settlements in Johannesburg where rapid growth has outpaced infrastructure development. Johannesburg Water said the decision to cut illegal connections was part of a broader strategy to curb water losses and stabilise supply to areas downstream, including the Lenasia Reservoir.

The settlement was initially supplied with water tanks under directives from the Department of Human Settlements, which mandates water and sanitation services for informal settlements. However, Johannesburg Water said ongoing land invasions and vandalism of tanks exacerbated the strain on local resources.

“Life was good for us before the government disconnected the water,” said Elizabeth Gcumisa, who has lived in Phumla Mqashi with her three grandchildren since 2019.

“We have no idea why we were cut out because when it is election time we do go out and vote,” said Gcumisa, saying the ANC promised their community proper water infrastructure.

“We are hurt by the government doing this to us. We do not want a lot of things. We just want water, which is our right,” she said.

Residents keep their water drums at the ready so they can fill up as soon a Johannesburg Water refills the tanks in Phumla Mqashi informal settlement. (Photo: Julia Evans)

The Department of Human Settlements told Daily Maverick that the government was constitutionally obliged to provide these services to all residents, including those in Phumla Mqashi.

The Department of Water and Sanitation confirmed that, according to the 2013 National Water Policy Review, each person was entitled to 25 litres of potable water a day, which equates to six kilolitres per household per month, for essential uses such as drinking, cooking and hygiene.

Another resident, Joyce Khoza, wearing a wide sun hat to shield herself from the scorching heat on Wednesday afternoon, pushed a trolley filled with empty buckets and bottles.

“We are poor, it’s fine, but can the government please give us water, that is all we need right now,” said Khoza, who has lived in the area since 2015.

A man walks home with buckets of water filled from water tanks at Phumla Mqashi informal settlement. (Photo: Julia Evans)

Disconnecting illegal water connections is part of the City of Johannesburg’s Water Conservation and Demand Management Strategy, which includes repairing infrastructure, improving pressure management, enforcing by-laws and replacing old pipes.

Read more: Joburg Water targets informal settlements in crackdown on illegal connections

This comes as the city faces a staggering 46% non-revenue water (NRW) rate, with Johannesburg Water attributing 25% of these losses to physical issues such as leaks and pipe bursts, 9.7% to commercial losses (including theft and billing errors), and 11.7% to authorised but unbilled consumption.

Phumla Mqashi was the first settlement targeted under this programme, sparking protests and clashes with authorities. Johannesburg Water has since deployed 53 JoJo tanks to serve the settlement and claims they are refilled daily by three dedicated trucks.

Water tankers not working

However, residents have been complaining for weeks that the water supply runs out just hours after their tanks are refilled, as well as highlighting health concerns – with many families reporting stomach problems and skin irritations linked to the water.

“The community is struggling and frustrated because we can go two days without the water truck delivering water, which results in long queues for the community and some ending up not getting water,” said Jeffrey Mphohoni, a Phumla Mqashi resident and community leader.

Three water trucks are assigned to deliver water every day, but their arrival is inconsistent and the community is unaware of the schedule.

Residents fill containers with water from Johannesburg Water tanks. (Photo: Julia Evans)

On days when water is available, it always runs out fast. Dozens of residents line up daily to fill buckets and water drums, but the water pressure drops to a trickle just hours after the tanks are refilled as the supply is quickly depleted.

Mphopoheni explained that this led to the community fighting among themselves. “It is very painful for those who go to work when they return to find water tanks empty,”

“Now we have become the enemies of ourselves,” said Sbonela Makhubela, another resident, reflecting on the hostility that arises when water becomes scarce.

“We fight a lot because some people want to use each and every container they have in their home to fill up [with] water,” explained Gcumisa. “By the time we have to get it, then it is finished.”

To cope with this, Gcumisa said she often woke up early to join the long queue for water. However, this came with risks, including potentially becoming a victim of criminals.

“If I don’t get the water in the morning it is a big problem. I rather wait till the next day because it is not safe for me, and my grandchildren are girls, they can get raped, they can break into our shack or we can have cellphones stolen,” said Gcumisa.

Health concerns

Residents have raised concerns about the quality of tanked water. Sbonelo Makhubela noted discolouration around dishes after filling them with water from the tanks. “They don’t clean these JoJo tanks,” agreed Alfred Mxunya, another community leader.

A woman takes water home after collecting it from JoJo tanks in the Phumla Mqashi informal settlement. (Photo: Julia Evans)

Gcumisa uses tanked water only for cleaning and laundry because it makes her grandchildren sick. Her youngest grandchild has developed a skin condition that resembles eczema, likely due to poor water quality.

When taps run dry, Joyce Khoza must walk 15 minutes to a neighbouring township for water. “Even that isn’t easy because people complain a lot,” she said. Frustrated by seeking answers from local officials and protesting without results, she said, “I injured myself during the last protest; I’m tired now.”

On days when there is no water, Gcumisa and Khoza often have to make tough choices. They sometimes tell their children not to bathe and limit how much water they use, just to make sure there’s enough if the taps stay dry longer.

Communication with Johannesburg Water

Communication concerns arose with community leaders. Alfred Mxunya said residents were unhappy with their original leaders for failing to inform them about disconnections.

“Our community has elected new community leaders,” said Mphohoni.

Johannesburg Water said it conducted daily operations similar to other areas in the city. “Ensuring the health and safety of our residents is our top priority when it comes to water quality,” it said, adding that rigorous quality checks were conducted on all water delivered and that their water tanks were regularly cleaned to maintain compliance.

The utility said that onsite inspectors monitored demand and supply routes daily while engaging with local leadership.

Upgrading Phumla Mqashi and moving residents

The Department of Human Settlements (DHS) said that for the 2024/2025 financial year, the government had allocated R8.7-billion for urban settlements and R4.5-billion for upgrading informal settlements nationwide. Of this, the City of Johannesburg received more than R2.6-billion through two grants.

While Phumla Mqashi has been earmarked for upgrading, initial plans involve relocating about 900 households living under an Eskom power line. City spokesperson Virgil James confirmed this relocation would be to land identified in Vlakfontein, where City Power is establishing a solar plant for relocated residents.

Residents fill up with drinking water at a neighbour’s borehole in Phumla Mqashi informal settlement. (Photo: Julia Evans)

However, many Phumla Mqashi residents are strongly opposed to the idea. Thabang Nkoali, who has lived in the area for more than five years, works as a security guard. He initially lived in a shack, but was able to complete a one-room house in 2024.

“Yes we want the water, but I will never agree to move, I struggled to build this home for my children,” Nkoali said.

The city said further upgrades depended on acquiring alternative land for relocating households. James said that Unaville had initially been vacant land designated for development, but was invaded during planning efforts in 2017.

The proposed development aims for mixed-income housing to benefit many households. However, James noted that establishing permanent infrastructure required the establishment of a township due to its current agricultural zoning.

“Unfortunately, for this to be realised in Phumla Mqhashi, additional land is required for relocation of the overflow. This will pave the way for establishment of a township and ultimately the installation of permanent infrastructure,” he said. DM

If you know of any leaks or burst pipes that have been going on for longer than a week, send Daily Maverick a tip-off of its location.

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Water tankers not working

Health concerns

Communication with Johannesburg Water

Upgrading Phumla Mqashi and moving residents