The terrifying alert to Hawaii residents warning them about an inbound ballistic missile was, thankfully, a false alarm. However, the warning about ‘day zero’ in Cape Town is all too real. While there is unsurprisingly much unhappiness about a proposed drought levy to delink city revenues from water sales, the immediate priority is to reduce consumption. In the short term at least, much hinges on the discipline of residents – a tall order, amid the growing unhappiness and political infighting.