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Department of Water and Sanitation Deputy Minister David Mahlobo, Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi, Department of Water and Sanitation Minister Pemmy Majodina, and Johannesburg mayor Dada Morero are pictured during a media briefing on water issues in during an oversight visit in Emmarentia in Johannesburg on 11 February 2026.
Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi has apologised to the public for diminishing their experiences during the current water outages.
On Wednesday, during a media briefing held in Brixton, Johannesburg, the Premier said he had to take a shower at a hotel due to dry taps in Gauteng.
His utterances sparked a debate, which labelled his statement as “classist”, suggesting that the impact of water challenges differs based on one’s position in society.
Lesufi said, “I had to go to a certain hotel so that I bath to go to my commitment. We also go through the same inconvenience like any other person. There’s no special water or a special pipe that is designed t service other people and not service other people. Our families, our relatives, ourselves, our constituencies, they suffer the same pain. We don’t have water when communities don’t have water. But what we need to do, we’ve got responsibility to fix the problem.”
VIDEO | Johannesburg water challenges: Politicians answer questions from media:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFficbe1DHU
VIDEO | SA Water Crisis | Water disruptions persist across Gauteng region:
