The Democratic Alliance (DA) called on Gauteng province, Rand Water and affected municipalities to publish a water crisis plan, to keep frustrated residents informed.

The party said it welcomed the increased involvement of senior government leaders in response to Gauteng’s water crisis, including Deputy President Paul Mashatile, Water and Sanitation Minister Pemmy Majodina and Deputy Minister David Mahlobo, as well as Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Velenkosini Hlabisa and Deputy Minister Dickson Masemola, however, it said their involvement needed to translate into answers and timelines for residents.

DA Water and Sanitation spokesperson Stephen Moore said all indications were that Gauteng had begun water-shifting, termed “load-shifting” by Mashatile on Friday, after residents complained that some areas are being “turned on and off”.

Moore said if water-shifting was underway, the Gauteng government should publish a schedule for residents.

“If supply will be shifted between areas to stabilise the system, residents must be treated with respect and provided with water-shifting schedules, not uncertainty,” he added.

He said residents needed “concrete actions, clear timelines, and public transparency”, that allowed communities, businesses, clinics and schools to plan.

The DA wants a daily, time-stamped system bulletin from Rand Water and each metro, including supply versus demand, key constraints, reservoir recovery position, and areas at risk.

Last week, the DA expressed concerns with the way Rand Water communicates with residents, instructing Majodina to immediate instruct the entity to regularly and timeously communicate directly with the public and not through metros.

The DA wants water-shifting schedules or plans by zone, including how hospitals, clinics, schools and old-age facilities will be protected.

Moore said his party also wanted to know funding specifics, including which infrastructure grants were being ring-fenced, the exact amounts being reprioritised, and which projects would be funded immediately.

Moore said his party demanded that national and provincial government activate the emergency and disaster funding instruments that were available.

“…but we also need to be clear on the rules. This cannot be a blank check or an avenue for corruption, it cannot be a bailout for general municipal cash flow. Any support must be ring-fenced for stabilisation and non-revenue water reduction, with strict reporting and measurable outputs. Leak repair capacity, pressure management and pipe replacement are the key things…,” he said.

The DA wants to know operational outputs with deadlines, including additional leak teams, pressure reducing valves and pressure zones commissioned, priority pipe-replacement hotspots, and measurable targets for 7, 30 and 90 days.

It also demands to know tanker deployment rules and tracking, including where, how many, rotation times, and a public escalation channel.