South Africa’s taps on verge of running dry, Mayor denies water crisis

Residents across Johannesburg are facing prolonged water outages as taps run dry in many suburbs, sparking protests and frustration over basic services. The shortage has forced communities to queue for water containers and rely on intermittent deliveries, with families enduring days without water. Despite mounting criticism and public outcry, Mayor Dada Morero has denied that the city is experiencing a full‑blown water crisis or that a “Day Zero” — a complete cutoff of municipal water — is imminent. City officials maintain efforts are underway to stabilise the supply network and balance distribution amid high demand, ageing infrastructure, and ongoing maintenance challenges.