Photo by: Duane Daws
Water supply problems in Gauteng were due to a technical glitch and not Rand Water's fault, Water and Sanitation Minister Nomvula Mokonyane said on Monday.
"Even though the fault does not lie with Rand Water, we've taken collective responsibility. What happened in Gauteng was a technical glitch," she told reporters at Rand Water's depot in Glenvista, Johannesburg.
She denied claims that the province had a water crisis. She called on experts to explain the problem.
This was the first time Rand Water had experienced such a problem. Mokonyane said although correcting the problem took time, it was a reasonable delay.
"The situation is far better than it was three or four days ago."
She has called on all municipalities in Gauteng to draw up a ten-year water plan.
Rand Water CEO Percy Sechemane said water levels had stabilised. Supply to affected areas had been restored, but he could not confirm that every single household had running water.
"It's normal in the sense that people are receiving water."
Mokonyane gave Rand Water two weeks to resolve the matter.
Rand Water board chairperson Matshidiso Mayimele-Hashatse said reservoir levels were not yet at a 100%, but all were stable. The volumes they had pumped in during the past few days had been higher than normal, she said.