WIKUS DE WET-AFP
Anger is mounting in some Johannesburg districts left without water for more than a week, fewer than three months before general elections marked by voter discontent with South Africa's failing infrastructure.
With power cuts and potholes already part of daily life, recent water shortages have increased the frustration of many over poor service delivery, a key election issue, in the country's most populous city.
South Africa is the continent's most industrialised nation, but access to basic services such as water, electricity and refuse collection is a recurring source of anger for many of the 62 million inhabitants.
Shouting "We want water" and holding placards reading "No water, this stinks!", a few dozen people protested in a northern Johannesburg district on Tuesday as, some 500 kilometres (300 miles) away in the port city of Durban, students and civil servants demonstrated against blackouts.
"We pay our taxes, now show us what it's for," said Johannesburg protester Niamh Faherty.
"We've waited long enough, it's been 10 days...and we still don't have any water, I mean you can imagine with the two young kids, and it's just frustrating," said Nkosinathi Khumalo, another demonstrator.
Due to a shortfall in energy production and frequent breakdowns at its ageing power stations, South Africa has for years suffered from economy-crippling, rolling power cuts that at their worst last up to 12 hours a day.
These eased in recent months, but water troubles soon appeared, further fuelling widespread frustration at the ruling African National Congress (ANC).
Struggling in the polls, the party risks losing its parliamentary majority for the first time since the advent of democracy in 1994 amid accusations of mismanagement and corruption, and high rates of crime, poverty and unemployment.
Some 27.5 million South Africans are registered to vote in national and provincial elections on May 29.
Tens of thousands of others have been affected by the water crisis that hit around 30 affluent, predominantly-white northern suburbs, where many live in houses with gardens surrounded by high walls and electric fences to dissuade burglars.
Some have been drawing water from their swimming pools to wash and flush toilets.
Authorities have cited some causes for the shortage: dilapidated pipes, a rise in consumption linked to a heatwave and electrical faults affecting pumps.
Built over a massive gold deposit, Johannesburg does not have any major natural water source, such as a river or lake, so the high-lying city is largely supplied by pumping from elsewhere.
Meanwhile, some residents who got water from the tankers provided complained about diarrhoea afterwards.
Martlé Keyter, Chief Executive Officer of operations of MISA, the Motor Industry Staff Association, says the past two weeks is just a taste of what awaits us all if we don’t start protecting our water resources.
Across the country 46% of drinking water is classified as “unacceptable” and scores of towns and cities have substantially declined in the last decade.
The latest Blue Drop report shows a decrease in quality drinking water across South Africa.
“South Africa's rainfall is unpredictable and common periods of drought limit water resources even further. Although we see the impact of global warming, very little is being done to prevent pollution of our rivers and streams, not even to mention our dams,” says Keyter.
