MK Party demands urgent debate in Parliament to tackle South Africa's water crisis
Former president Jacob Zuma’s uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP) says it has formally requested an urgent debate in Parliament to address South Africa’s deepening water crisis.
“The uMkhonto weSizwe Party has formally requested an urgent snap debate in Parliament, under Rule 130(1), to address South Africa’s escalating national water crisis,” the party said.
MKP national spokesperson Nhlamulo Ndhlela said communities across the country are facing dry taps, polluted water, collapsing sewage systems and failing wastewater treatment works.
“This has moved from being a municipal service delivery issue to a national governance failure.”
“Section 27 of the Constitution guarantees the right to sufficient water for all, but for millions of South Africans, that right is violated daily, with severe consequences for human dignity, public health and safety.”
Ndhlela added that the ongoing collapse of water infrastructure threatens public health, undermines economic activity in agriculture and industry, damages the environment through untreated sewage, and erodes investor confidence in the Government of National Unity’s (GNU) ability to maintain basic infrastructure.
The MK Party has called on Parliament to urgently investigate how the crisis was allowed to escalate, demand accountability from President Cyril Ramaphosa for failing to honour commitments made in his 2025 State of the Nation Address – “where he assured the elderly and rural communities that the water crisis would be resolved – and determine what immediate national interventions will stabilise and restore water security across the country.”
“The MK Party will continue to use every parliamentary mechanism available to defend the constitutional rights of our people and ensure that those responsible for this failure are held to account,” Ndhlela said.
The request comes as South Africa continues to face widespread water shortages, with some provinces experiencing prolonged dry taps.
The issue has persisted for years, with little progress made to address it.
Recently, the crisis has again come into focus as parts of Gauteng continue to experience water shortages.
Midrand has been among the hardest hit, with some residents reporting no water supply for more than 10 days.
Frustrated residents staged peaceful protests in Midrand on Tuesday, while in Laudium, west of Pretoria, residents also demonstrated over ongoing outages.
The bulk water supplier Rand Water expressed concern over persistently high water consumption in Gauteng, particularly in Johannesburg and Tshwane.
“This above normal consumption that has exceeded the allocated volumes continues to place significant strain on the overall water supply network,” Rand Water spokesperson Makenosi Maroo.
She added that the high consumption has negatively affected water supply in parts of the bulk supply area.
“After engaging with high water-consuming municipalities, Rand Water will reduce water supply to these areas to restore supply in affected regions and stabilise the entire bulk water system,” Maroo said.
She urged municipalities and consumers to use water sparingly.
Meanwhile, Dr Ferrial Adam, executive director of WaterCAN (Water Community Action Network), criticised public communication on the crisis, describing it as fragmented, overly technical, and often filtered through political channels. “Although councillors are briefed, in an election year this information is frequently repackaged for party-political purposes, which undermines clarity and public trust,” Adam said.
Johannesburg Mayor Dada Morero said the city was working to stabilise reservoirs and that water supply in Midrand should improve following a week of disruptions.
Speaking in Midrand on Tuesday, Morero said reservoir levels were slowly recovering after a series of system failures.
Rand Water had notified Joburg Water on January 26, 2026 of emergency repair work at the Palmiet Pump Station, which required isolation and repair of critical pump infrastructure.
“Although the work was initially expected to be completed quickly, technical and operational delays prolonged the process,” Morero said.
He added that a power trip at Rand Water’s Zuikerbosch Treatment Plant on January 27, affected the Eikenhof and Zwartkoppies supply systems, and another power failure at the Palmiet Pump Station on January 31, further destabilised the system.
“These cumulative incidents resulted in critically low levels at the Klipfontein Reservoir, which supplies Johannesburg Water’s Midrand system,” Morero said.
A leak at the reservoir was later repaired, with commissioning completed on February 2.
Several Joburg Water reservoirs were affected, including Grand Reservoir, President Park Reservoir, Grand Central Reservoir, Rabie Ridge Reservoir and Diepsloot Reservoir.
In a Friday update, Joburg Water said the Midrand system remained constrained, with some reservoirs at fair levels and others critically low. Most suburbs are receiving water, but restoration is slow due to high overall demand.
Both Joburg Water and Rand Water are operating at full pumping capacity while monitoring the system and implementing interventions.
Reservoirs showing improvement include Rabie Ridge Reservoir, Randjesfontein Tower Reservoir, Development Bank Tower Reservoir and Steyn City Tower Reservoir.
“Alternative water supply is being provided in a regionally coordinated manner,” Joburg Water said.
simon.majadibodu@iol.co.za
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