Fochville Residents Fight for Water Amid Public Health Emergency

In Fochville, Gauteng, frustration has boiled over as communities face eight months without running water. With reservoirs near empty, some residents have been forced to draw water from contaminated streams and sewage-infested manholes, sparking fears of disease outbreaks such as cholera.

The crisis has prompted protests, with the Greater Fochville Water Crisis Committee taking their grievances directly to Rand Water offices in Glenvista, Johannesburg, demanding that full water supply be restored immediately.

A Crisis That Began with Debt

The water shut-off stems from a R1.4 billion debt owed by the Merafong City Municipality to Rand Water. While the municipality has engaged in legal disputes over the outstanding balance, residents have borne the brunt of the crisis.

Areas hardest hit include Fochville proper, Greenspark, and Kokosi, where schools recently released children early due to the lack of water for basic sanitation.

Elliot Mthembu, a spokesperson for the crisis committee, described the situation as a “daily battle for survival” and a national disgrace. He added that residents’ health and safety were at risk while authorities bickered over legal and financial matters.

From Bucket Queues to Protests

Earlier this week, residents filled 20 minibus taxis with empty buckets and marched to Rand Water to hand over a memorandum outlining their demands. The memorandum called for:

• Immediate restoration of water supply to 100% capacity

• Direct water provision to households, bypassing bureaucratic delays

• The adoption of a special purpose vehicle, similar to the one used in Emfuleni municipality, to resolve the crisis

• Accountability from the municipality and provincial and national authorities

“This situation has escalated from a service delivery failure to a full-blown public health emergency,” read the memorandum.

Rand Water Responds

Rand Water’s Mbuyiswa Makhubela acknowledged receipt of the memorandum, promising a response within seven days. He stressed that while the issue is dynamic, it is solvable with political will. Makhubela highlighted the need for a practical interim solution, suggesting that water could be restored on the condition that the municipality meets current billing obligations, with the R1.4 billion debt addressed separately.

Community leaders, however, argue that stronger action is needed, including attaching municipal assets to ensure compliance and prevent future disruptions.

Local Voices and Wider Concerns

Residents’ anger is palpable on social media, with many sharing images of makeshift water collection points, children carrying buckets from contaminated streams, and empty reservoirs.

“This is beyond frustration it is about the survival of our families,” one resident said. Another warned, “If this continues, we are inviting an epidemic.”

For Fochville, the water crisis has become more than a daily inconvenience. It is a fight for dignity, health, and basic human rights, with the community demanding that both Rand Water and municipal authorities act decisively to end months of neglect.

{Source: The Citizen}

Follow Joburg ETC on Facebook, Twitter , TikTok and Instagram

For more News in Johannesburg, visit joburgetc.com