eNCA News Anchor Bra Dan Moyane
eNCA news anchor Dan Moyane has voiced his frustration over ongoing water outages hitting Johannesburg’s northern suburbs, directly reaching out to City of Johannesburg mayor Thapelo Morero amid a worsening crisis that has left residents without taps for days.
In a candid post on X (formerly Twitter), Moyane, a well-known face in South African broadcasting, stripped away his professional persona to speak as an ordinary resident and ratepayer. “I’m speaking to you not as a politician not as a news anchor but as a rate payer a resident of Johannesburg I pay my bills on time I owe this city nothing yet since Thursday my home in the northern parts of Johannesburg has been without water,” he wrote, tagging @CityofJoburgZA and @DadaMorero. The message, shared on Saturday, 13 September 2025, quickly gained traction, resonating with thousands facing the same plight and highlighting the human side of Joburg’s escalating water woes.
Bra Dan Moyane’s Personal Plea Amid Broader Community Anger
Moyane, 52, has been a staple on eNCA since 2013, anchoring prime-time news with his calm demeanour and sharp insights. But in this instance, he stepped out of the studio spotlight to share his own hardship, amplifying the voices of everyday Jozi residents. His home in the northern suburbs—areas like Bryanston, Sandton, and Randburg—has been dry since Thursday, 12 September 2025, forcing him and his family to rely on bottled water for basics like cooking, bathing, and flushing toilets.
This isn’t Moyane’s first brush with public service issues; he’s covered countless stories on load shedding and service delivery failures. Yet, his direct appeal to Mayor Morero, who oversees the city’s utilities, underscores a growing desperation. “As a ratepayer, I expect better,” Moyane implied, echoing sentiments from across the metro. His post has sparked hundreds of replies, with users sharing similar tales: families queuing at communal tanks, businesses halting operations, and parents worrying about hygiene for schoolchildren.
The anchor’s frustration comes at a time when social media is flooded with complaints. Hashtags like #JoburgWaterCrisis and #NoWaterNoVote are trending, with residents posting photos of empty reservoirs and makeshift water collections. Moyane’s status as a public figure has boosted visibility, prompting calls for accountability from the city’s leadership.
The Root of the Crisis: Burst Pipes, Ageing Infrastructure, and Overstretched Systems
Johannesburg’s water troubles aren’t new, but they’ve hit a boiling point in September 2025. The immediate trigger for northern suburbs is a major burst pipe at the Bryanston reservoir, causing taps to run dry in areas like Coronationville, Westbury, and parts of Randburg. Rand Water, the bulk supplier, confirmed low pressure and complete outages in these spots, with repairs ongoing but slowed by the complexity of the 50-year-old pipes.
Broader issues stem from the Eikenhof pump station failures that began in July 2025. Power outages there depleted key reservoirs like Forest Hill and Yeoville, affecting supply to nearly 370 areas citywide. High summer demand—up 15% from last year—has pushed systems to the brink, with leaks wasting up to 40% of treated water before it reaches homes. Ageing infrastructure, including pipes from the apartheid era, hasn’t kept pace with the city’s 5.5 million residents, many in informal settlements adding extra strain.
Experts blame a mix of poor maintenance, rapid urban growth, and climate factors like erratic rainfall. Johannesburg Water, the municipal arm, has been criticised for delayed responses; a recent report showed only 60% of leaks fixed within 48 hours. The crisis has lasted weeks in some spots, with northern suburbs now joining the list after earlier hits to the south and east. Government officials, including Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi, have called for calm, promising mobile water tankers and urging conservation—limit showers to five minutes, fix dripping taps, and avoid garden watering during peak hours.
Protests Erupt as Residents Demand Action and Accountability
The outages have ignited fury, turning quiet frustrations into street protests. In Westbury and Coronationville, hundreds blocked roads with burning tyres and barricades on 11 September 2025, chanting “No water, no rates!” Police used rubber bullets to disperse crowds, injuring a few, while the city deployed extra tankers. Similar unrest hit Ivory Park and Ebony Park, where families have gone days without supply, risking health issues like cholera outbreaks from contaminated sources.
Residents argue they’re paying for services they don’t get—Joburg’s rates are among the highest in SA, funding salaries but not fixes. Pensioners and low-income households suffer most, unable to afford water deliveries at R200 per 1 000 litres. Community leaders, like those from the Westbury Residents Association, demand audits of Johannesburg Water’s R2 billion budget and faster infrastructure upgrades. “We’ve been promised boreholes and new pipes for years,” one protester said. “Enough is enough.”
Mayor Morero’s office has responded with updates, stating repairs at Bryanston are 70% complete and expecting full restoration by mid-week. They’ve also waived penalties for late payments during the crisis and expanded free basic water for indigent families—50 litres per person daily. But critics, including opposition parties like the DA, call it too little, too late, pointing to a decade of mismanagement since outages first surged in 2015.
Historical Context: A Decade of Water Woes in the City of Gold
Joburg’s water saga dates back, but 2023 marked a turning point with frequency doubling. The 2022 heatwaves exposed vulnerabilities, and by 2025, nearly half the city faces intermittent supply. The Wikipedia entry on Johannesburg’s Emergency Water Supply notes violent protests in September 2025, linking them to eroded confidence in providers like Rand Water and Johannesburg Water.
Past efforts, like the 2024 R1.5 billion pipeline project, have stalled due to contractor disputes. Climate change worsens it—droughts reduce Vaal Dam levels to 60%, Joburg’s main source. National government has chipped in R500 million for emergency fixes, but locals want long-term plans: smart metering to cut leaks, rainwater harvesting incentives, and desalination pilots.
For northern suburbs, affluent areas with high rates expectations, the outage feels like a betrayal. Sandton towers and Bryanston estates now queue alongside townships, blurring class lines in shared misery.
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