PHOTO: LINKEDIN
Water woes in the City of Johannesburg have now also affected the Constitutional Court that had been unable to conduct physical or in-court case hearings because of unreliable water supply in the court building.
The Office of the Chief Justice (OCJ) said the water issue was first reported the on 1 November 2024, when the current court term commenced.
In a statement, the OCJ said the exact cause was still being investigated, "although it appears to be generalised in the Hillbrow area where the Court is located," it said.
Water leaks in the court's water system were also detected, which further impacted water supply in the court.
It's reported that a professional plumber deployed by the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure, together with the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development had since addressed the water leaks issue.
The OCJ also said whilst the court has a water tank installed for ablution facilities, this back up water supply lasts for only one working day, adding that the City of Johannesburg was "unable to refill it promptly on a daily basis to allow Court operations to continue uninterrupted."
Meanwhile, giving an update on developments in her department after 100 days in office, Water and Sanitation minister Pemmy Majodina last week said the province's water woes were "self-inflicted".
Majodina acknowledged that while there were water supply issues in Gauteng, the province was not experiencing a drought.
The OCJ said Constitutional Court management were in regular contact with the City of Johannesburg and Rand Water regarding the ongoing water supply challenges in the Hillbrow area.
