Water supply to parts of Ekurhuleni and Tshwane has been cut after a power failure at Rand Water's Mapleton pumping station in Boksburg, in the latest disruption to Gauteng's strained water system just before the local government elections.
The outage began at about 8.35pm on Monday 2 November after an interruption to the City of Ekurhuleni's electricity supply to the pumping station, according to reports of the incident. A lightning strike on Monday evening is reported to have damaged a circuit breaker at the substation.
What is affected
Rand Water announced supply cuts to Ekurhuleni, Tshwane and four local municipalities: Lesedi, Govan Mbeki, Victor Khanye and Thembisile Hani. Residents should check with their municipality for the position in their specific area.
Repairs
The City of Ekurhuleni says the Mapleton substation has been energised to 50% capacity. Repairs were delayed into Tuesday morning by heavy rain, thunderstorms and lightning. Ekurhuleni spokesperson Makenosi Maroo said repairs were continuing and that updates would follow.
The political backdrop
Water has become a voting issue in Gauteng. ANC deputy secretary-general Nomvula Mokonyane, speaking after casting her special vote in Mogale City on Tuesday, rejected suggestions that her party is to blame. "It's not that there is no water, it's that the system is not reliable in providing water," she said, adding: "It's a national issue. A few years ago it was Eskom; now it's water."
She said Deputy Minister of Water and Sanitation David Mahlobo is working with Rand Water, Joburg Water and City Power on the problem. The South African Human Rights Commission has also reportedly raised concerns about prolonged outages in Gauteng.
What we do not yet know
- When full supply will be restored in each affected area.
- Which suburbs are worst affected, because a suburb-level list has not been published.
- Whether the cuts are affecting water at voting stations.
