Panyaza Lesufi forced to book a hotel to bathe

Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi assured residents across the country’s richest province that he too feels their plight of prolonged dry taps, noting that he sometimes has to bathe in a hotel.

“People think that if there is no water, ourselves, our families, we’ve got special water. But we don’t!” Lesufi told a media briefing on the Gauteng water crisis on 11 February.

“In some instances, I had to go to a certain hotel so that I bath to go to my commitments. We also go through the same inconvenience like any other person,” he added.

This statement immediately sparked backlash from residents, as many, for example, in Johannesburg, have gone weeks without water and do not have the luxuries that Lesufi has.

The Gauteng Premier and chairperson of the ANC in the province then issued an apology on X, saying that there was “no harm intended.”

His spokesperson said that the comments “may have been interpreted in a manner that suggested that the impact of water challenges differs based on one’s position in society. This was never his intention.”

“The water challenges we are experiencing inconvenience everyone equally. No one is immune to the frustration and disruption caused by water shortages, and I regret any impression that suggested otherwise,” said Lesufi.

Lesufi said he is committed to collaborating with all levels of government, municipalities, and stakeholders to urgently address water infrastructure issues.

He added that resolving water challenges remains a top priority.

The Gauteng water crisis

As of mid-February 2026, Gauteng is facing a severe and escalating water supply crisis, with many residents in Johannesburg, Tshwane and Ekurhuleni reporting that they have been without running water for weeks.

While the province’s major dams are not empty, the crisis is being driven by a system under extreme strain, with water infrastructure struggling to keep up with demand and failing to reliably transport water from bulk supply points to households.

Authorities say that pressure has been intensified by overconsumption, particularly in Johannesburg, where daily water usage is estimated at around 1,750 megalitres.

However, critics argue that this figure is attempting to shift the blame to residents, when Johannesburg’s system loses over 45% of its supplied water to burst pipes, illegal connections and leaks.

Authorities have warned that this growing gap between consumption and available supply is pushing the system to breaking point, with ageing pipes, pumps and reservoirs unable to cope with sustained high demand.

In several areas, including suburbs such as Brixton, Crosby and Hursthill, reservoirs have reportedly been running critically low or sitting empty for extended periods.

Adding to the crisis are allegations of deliberate sabotage linked to so-called “water tanker mafias”, accused of damaging infrastructure in order to profit from the delivery of emergency water supplies through tenders.

In a joint media briefing on February 11, national, provincial and municipal officials outlined immediate measures aimed at preventing a total collapse.

Deputy Minister of Water and Sanitation David Mahlobo announced that Gauteng would move toward “soft water restrictions”, including load shifting, a strategy similar to load shedding, where water is redirected from areas with stable reservoir levels to those facing critical shortages.

Johannesburg Mayor Dada Morero also confirmed that water pressure is being throttled at night, in an attempt to reduce water losses through leaks and allow reservoirs time to recover.

Despite the widespread outages, officials have insisted Gauteng has not yet reached “Day Zero”.

At the same time, government has acknowledged that the crisis reflects deeper long-term problems linked to underinvestment in infrastructure.

Water and Sanitation Minister Pemmy Majodina claimed that South Africa requires at least R400 billion to address the country’s municipal water infrastructure backlog.

The City of Johannesburg indicated that new reservoirs and pump stations are being developed in areas including Midrand and Brixton.

However, officials cautioned that these projects will take time to complete and will not provide immediate relief.

WaterCAN’s Dr Ferrial Adam recently told Newsday that “the majority of dry taps we see today are not caused by natural scarcity but by governance failures.”

“Billions have been spent on upgrades that never materialised or were riddled with corruption,” said Adam.

“The problem is less about not having water than not managing water.” “Without competent governance, no amount of rainfall or dam storage will translate into reliable taps.”

WaterCAN has consistently called for:

• Professionalising water services by ending political appointments and hiring qualified engineers.
• Transparent reporting of water quality and infrastructure data.
• Ringfenced budgets to prevent diversion of water funds.
• Expanding citizen initiatives like Water Testing Week.
• Stronger independent oversight through Chapter 9 bodies and civil society action.