The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) in Gauteng expresses deep concern over the ongoing water outage in the Gauteng province, where some residents have gone nearly three weeks without running water. This situation has made life unbearable for working-class families and the poor.

Access to clean water is a basic human right. The continued failure to provide water has severely affected daily life in the community. Families are struggling to cook, clean, and maintain proper hygiene. Children are among the hardest hit, with some missing school because they cannot bathe or because households are spending hours searching for water instead of preparing learners for school.

Working-class parents, many of whom already face unemployment or low wages, are forced to spend what little money they have on buying water or travelling long distances to collect it. This places an unfair financial burden on households and deepens poverty and inequality.

The lack of water also poses serious health risks. Poor sanitation can lead to the spread of diseases, especially among children, the elderly, and people with compromised immune systems. No community should be exposed to such dangers due to service delivery failures.

COSATU calls on the City of Johannesburg and all relevant authorities to urgently resolve the water outage in Gauteng. Emergency water tankers must be provided consistently and fairly while permanent solutions are implemented. Clear communication with residents is also critical so communities know what is being done and when services will be restored.

We stand in solidarity with the Gauteng province and reaffirm that service delivery failures always hit the working class the hardest. Government must act decisively to protect the dignity, health, and future of our communities.

Issued by COSATU Gauteng

Provincial Chairperson (Amos Monyela)     : 079 493 5002

Provincial Secretary (Louisah Modikwe)    : 066 182 2402 / 082 297 2659