Johannesburg’s ongoing water shortages have left many communities struggling, with taps running dry for days in parts of the city. Rand Water has warned that high consumption and ageing infrastructure are placing the system under severe strain, forcing restrictions across Gauteng.
President Cyril Ramaphosa, in his state of the nation address on Thursday night, acknowledged the “pain and frustration” caused by unreliable water supply and announced the appointment of a national water crisis committee to co-ordinate urgent interventions.
The president said the government would spend R156bn over the next three years on water and sanitation infrastructure, while damaged pipes are being repaired and reservoirs refilled. However, he stressed there is no “silver bullet” to fix the problem, which stems largely from poor maintenance and ageing infrastructure.
Against this backdrop, TimesLIVE visited the Helen Joseph and Rahima Moosa hospitals on Saturday to see how the crisis is affecting operations.
At Helen Joseph Hospital, visitors and staff said the facility has managed to keep running despite water outages in surrounding areas, including Westbury, Westdene and Melville. Several large water tanks (JoJos) were visible on site.
“The hospital never struggles with water because we have back-up [referring to the tanks]. Even when there are shortages in the area, the hospital always has water,” said one security guard.
However, another guard admitted that there had been a disruption on Thursday. “On Thursday, there was no water, but we always have back-up for such days.”
A visitor confirmed the incident, saying she was turned away from a public toilet near the emergency department. “They told me the toilets were not working because there was no water,” she said.
Despite this, hospital operations appeared unaffected. Toilets inspected during the visit were running normally, and visitors said patients had not complained about shortages.
At Rahima Moosa Mother and Child Hospital, the picture was a bit complicated. Security staff acknowledged that water supply problems are common.
A guard, who has worked there for five years, said: “The hospital does have a water crisis, it’s not new. We have water tanks and there is also a borehole system, but patients don’t trust the water.”
He added that patients would sometimes buy their own water, or their families often bring bottled water instead.
He recalled a period when the hospital went without proper running water for two months. “The hospital always has water issues, but because of the back-up systems and a purifying system, the hospital can still function,” he said.
Another guard said some departments still struggle. “In certain wards, there is no water at all or it only comes out in drops.”
However, visitors said their relatives in the hospital had not raised complaints. Toilets checked in the radiography unit were working, though the water pressure was weak.
Ramaphosa has warned that water outages are a symptom of a “dysfunctional local government system” and promised accountability under the Water Services Amendment Act.
TimesLIVE
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