Residents of Westbury and Coronationville in Johannesburg, South Africa, have taken to the streets on Wednesday to protest ongoing water shortages.
Frustrated community members blocked roads and engaged in demonstrations to demand immediate action from authorities, state broadcaster SABC reports.
The protests have led to tensions, with at least one arrest reported during the demonstrations.
Authorities advised motorists to avoid the area, as several roads have been barricaded with rocks and rubble. Police said the situation is being monitored.
Water deployed
Johannesburg City Manager Floyd Brink has called for calm and assured residents that water supply will be restored in the coming days.
“There is a major rehabilitation that will take place, as well as a new tower and new reservoir... We have deployed our water tanks and water tankers, working closely with the council, but I must indicate that it is a frustration and an irritation to them, but we will ensure that in the next two to three days we will get the water flowing in these areas,” Brink told local media.
The water crisis has had a significant impact on the lives of residents, particularly the elderly and young children, SABC reports.
“I want the government to fix it. Look, we are sitting years without water now; how long can we sit like this? Nathan Jones, a resident, told local media.
Troubled water history
South Africa has been gripped many times with water scarcity.
In October, residents of Westbury and Westdene, suburbs to the west of the central business district, blocked the streets in protest against water outages after authorities instructed municipalities to impose daily water limits.
The water crisis is primarily due to increased demand, ageing infrastructure, and illegal water connections, the Water and Sanitation Ministry said in November.
Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi this month also announced plans to throttle water distribution to mitigate a water scarcity crisis.
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