The Gauteng water crisis shows no signs of easing. As of Friday 13 February 2026, residents in parts of Johannesburg and Tshwane have gone without water for up to 27 days. This follows President Cyril Ramaphosa’s pledge for urgent intervention during his State of the Nation Address the previous day.

Areas like Melville in Johannesburg report 27 days without supply. Soshanguve in Tshwane faces similar outages, with some blocks dry for more than a week. Families struggle to cook, bathe and send children to school.

Ramaphosa Promises Reforms as Shortages Persist

Ramaphosa described water as the nation’s most pressing issue during his address on 12 February 2026. He announced a National Water Crisis Committee that he will chair personally. The president also committed more than R156 billion in public funding for water and sanitation infrastructure over the next three years.

He blamed municipal failures for the crisis and deployed ministers to engage communities directly. “They informed me that the pipes that had been damaged are being repaired and the reservoirs are filling up again,” Ramaphosa said.

Yet residents on the ground report little change. One anonymous Soshanguve resident in Ward 35 described the daily battle. “When they have to go to school, they have to compromise,” he told Newsroom.co.za, referring to children in the household.

Officials Respond to Gauteng Water Crisis

Johannesburg Mayor Dada Morero acknowledged the inconvenience on 12 February 2026. He assured residents that teams are working to stabilise the network and urged water conservation.

The City of Tshwane blamed the Gauteng water crisis on low bulk supply from Rand Water and high consumption driven by hot weather. Officials noted reservoir levels in Soshanguve and Mabopane dropped sharply from 8 February 2026. They called on residents to use water sparingly.

Newsroom.co.za contacted the Department of Water and Sanitation for an update on ministerial interventions but received no response by publication.