Tensions boiled over in the Johannesburg suburb of Westbury on Thursday as residents protesting weeks of severe water cuts clashed with police officers, who were accused of disrupting a peaceful demonstration and using excessive force.
The protest, which has seen community members take to the streets for several consecutive days, is a response to a complete lack of running water in the area for over two weeks. The situation has become so dire that it has forced local schools and clinics to shut their doors, leaving residents without essential services.
A live broadcast from the scene captured escalating tensions on the road linking Soweto to the Johannesburg Central Business District. Residents expressed fury that this major thoroughfare remained open while access roads into Westbury itself were blocked by police, a move they perceived as an attempt to silence their protest.
The community’s frustration was articulated by resident Vanity Snyman, who described the intolerable living conditions. “It’s frustrating. Each and every morning when we wake up… there hasn’t been any running water in our taps for two weeks,” Snyman stated. “Our kids can’t go to school because there’s no water… I can’t cook. I can’t do anything. Washing or anything. You should see how our houses look. It’s dirty because we cannot do anything.”
The crisis extends beyond homes. Snyman confirmed that the Rahima Moosa Mother and Child Hospital and surrounding clinics are also without sufficient water, forcing them to close and leaving the community without medical care.
The protest turned confrontational as residents accused the South African Police Service (SAPS) of heavy-handed tactics. Eyewitnesses and footage from the scene detailed police using pepper spray and rubber bullets on demonstrators. One resident, who was not named, claimed the violence was unprovoked: “We were peacefully marching… they started pepper spraying us… they were shooting rubber bullets… we had to run into the houses here and we were peacefully, nobody had weapons.”
A central point of contention is the perceived unequal police response. Protesters pointed out that while their peaceful gathering was met with force, barricades in other areas like Ebony Park during similar protests were not being removed, leading to allegations of racism.
Community leaders have called for direct intervention from higher authorities. There were specific calls for the Minister of Water and Sanitation to address the crowd, and anger was directed at Johannesburg Mayor Dada Morero, who had reportedly promised to meet with residents the previous day but cancelled. Further frustration was aimed at a local councillor who residents said had gone on holiday amid the crisis.
The City of Johannesburg and water utility Joburg Water are scheduled to hold a briefing later today to outline intervention strategies. The protest in Westbury is part of a wider wave of discontent, with similar demonstrations recently reported in areas including Ebony Park and Ivory Park, signaling a growing crisis over water service delivery in parts of Gauteng.
The situation remains volatile, with residents vowing to continue their demonstrations until a permanent solution to the eight-year water problem is provided and their grievances are heard.
