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Lesufi apologises to Johannesburg as Samwu strike disrupts services

Published

Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi said on Sunday that talks between the City of Johannesburg and the South African Municipal Workers' Union were nearing an end. He said an agreement could be signed within hours.

Lesufi said the strike had undermined several government interventions and badly disrupted basic municipal services. He spoke at a media briefing on Sunday. Jacob Mamabolo, the Gauteng Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs MEC, was appointed to engage the city and the union.

Samwu general-secretary Dumisani Magagula defended the strike. He said the City had failed to implement the Politically Facilitated Agreement and blamed poor leadership and mismanagement. Reports said the union also demanded that the city implement wage resolutions from 2016, which could set the city back by R10bn.

Joburg Water kept water restrictions in place for a 24-hour period that started on Saturday, so reservoir levels could recover. Residents in Hillbrow and Berea said they had gone without running water for up to three weeks.

Annette Deppe, the DA ward councillor in Midrand, said taps were dry and emergency water tankers were nowhere to be seen. She shared messages from the city's water chief operating officer that said Midrand water systems were critically low.

Key facts

Who
Panyanza Lesufi (Gauteng premier); Jacob Mamabolo (cooperative governance and traditional affairs MEC, appointed to engage the…); Annette Deppe (Midrand DA ward councillor); South African Municipal Workers Union (union whose members protested and struck)
What
Lesufi said talks between the City of Johannesburg and the South African Municipal Workers Union were nearing conclusion, with an agreement expected within hours. Joburg Water kept throttling and inlet/outlet closures in place for a 24-hour period introduced on Saturday to let reservoir levels recover.
When
1 November 2026
Where
Johannesburg, Midrand, Gauteng
Status
Reported

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