Chaos as Joburg Water tries to remove illegal connections

Residents of Phumla Mqashi near Lenasia prevented Joburg Water technicians from disconnecting illegal water connections on Tuesday. Photos: Silver Sibiya

Chaos erupted at the Phumla Mqashi informal settlement near Lenasia, Johannesburg, on Tuesday as angry residents chased away Joburg Water technicians who had come to remove illegal water connections.

In a statement, Joburg Water spokesperson Nombuso Shabalala said the connections posed “substantial challenges” to the municipality’s water network, and contributed greatly to water losses and shortages across the city.

According to Joburg Water, the community doesn’t have formal water infrastructure. There used to be water tanks but “due to the ongoing land invasions and subsequent illegal water connections, these tanks were vandalised, leading to increased strain on the local water supply network”, Joburg Water said in a statement.

Joburg Water technicians arrived with armed police officers but were not able to complete their job.

Angry protesters blocked roads into Lenasia, including the busy Golden Highway, to stop technicians escorted by police from entering. Technicians eventually managed to get through the crowd and removed some illegal connections but they were soon forced to leave again.

Stones were thrown and GroundUp saw officers firing rubber bullets to disperse the crowd. The protesters then went to shops in the area to force them to close. A few delivery trucks coming to the shopping centre were told to turn around and park elsewhere.

Protesters say the settlement was established in 2016 but is still without running water or electricity.

Phumpa Mqashi residents told police officers that Joburg Water technicians must leave the area.

“We know we connected water illegally but they [the City] should have warned us they were going to disconnect,” said one of the residents who asked not to be named. She said if taps were installed, residents would be prepared to pay for water. “We have young kids who have to eat. How are they going to do that if there is no water? There is no life without water,” she said.

Resident Nhunhu Khoza said those whose illegal connections were removed on Tuesday could pay between R350 and R700 and be reconnected before the end of the day. “Sometimes even the Joburg Water officials connect us,” she claimed.

Another resident, Nhlanhla Moneri, said households had been connected illegally since 2017.

“They only disconnect today so they can bring us water trucks because this is how their comrades can benefit,” said Moneri.

A road sign was removed during the protest on Tuesday.

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