GOVERNMENT LEADERS VISIT MIDRAND WATER FACILITIES AMID WATER CRISIS
Government leaders inspected water infrastructure in Midrand including the Grand Central Tower, while the President Park Reservoir supplying Kaalfontein, Ebony Park and Ivory Park remains under daily throttling.
MIDRAND WATER CRISIS: DEPUTY PRESIDENT LEADS OVERSIGHT VISIT TO JOHANNESBURG WATER FACILITIES
Following the announcement by President Cyril Ramaphosa during the State of the Nation Address, a high-level government delegation conducted an oversight visit to several Johannesburg Water facilities in Midrand on Friday, 20 February 2026 to assess the ongoing water challenges affecting communities.
The visit was led by Deputy President Paul Mashatile, who chairs the newly established national Water Task Team. The inspection followed a meeting he convened with ministers and senior government officials last week to review water supply problems across Gauteng.
Also present were Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi, Acting Minister of Police Firoz Cachalia, and City of Johannesburg Executive Mayor Dada Morero.
Facilities inspected
Officials visited key infrastructure including the Grand Central Water Tower, the largest water tower in South Africa and the Southern Hemisphere. Built in 1996, the tower forms part of the Allandale, Waterfall and Grand Central reservoir system and plays a major role in water storage, pressure management and stabilising supply in Midrand.
The delegation also toured the Carlswald Reservoir construction site, where new infrastructure is being developed to strengthen capacity in the growing Midrand area.
Johannesburg Water said the purpose of the visit was to monitor system performance, assess operational capacity and identify blockages preventing stable water supply. Authorities believe the oversight will help improve coordination between national government, the province, the City and bulk supplier Rand Water.
Notably absent
However, the delegation did not visit the President Park Reservoir, which supplies Kaalfontein, Allandale, Ebony Park and Ivory Park. The reservoir remains severely constrained and is currently subjected to daily water throttling from 16:00 until 04:00, a key reason many residents continue to experience low pressure or no water.
Causes of the crisis
Officials say the water crisis is driven by a combination of factors, including rapidly growing demand, ageing and failing infrastructure, and maintenance and coordination challenges within the system.
Johannesburg Water says it continues to monitor the network closely and implement interventions to stabilise supply, while government leaders pledged to work together to unlock bottlenecks and restore reliable water to residents and businesses.
KAE News will continue monitoring developments and provide updates to the community.
