A Johannesburg ward councillor says Johannesburg Water has admitted they were not prepared for the recent huge water shutdown regarding the distribution of water trucks and their staff were attacked while dealing with the issue.
This is alleged to have been revealed in a feedback meeting between the water entity and Joburg councillors on Tuesday. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the recent water outages caused by the major maintenance undertaken by Rand Water as well as the recovery of the reservoirs after completion of the maintenance.
Devon Steenkamp, a councillor in the north of Johannesburg, said during the meeting Johannesburg Water acknowledged they weren’t prepared and have since fixed some challenges and come up with solutions for the future.
Steenkamp said the water entity also stated some of their employees were hijacked or mugged while they were trying to deliver water trucks.
“So they said security is another issue they need to look into.
“They shared steps to address challenges, including acquiring more water tankers and improving operational readiness. Security for employees, who faced incidents such as hijackings and muggings during water deliveries has been flagged as a priority,” he said.
Nicole van Dyk, another ward councillor in the Randburg area, said the water entity stated initial plans for 75 tankers proved inadequate, resulting in an additional 40 being added later.
High demand for water was worsened by a heatwave, unlike previous shutdowns during colder months, she said.