Residents of the Blairgowrie neighbourhood of Johannesburg, South Africa, demonstrate against the lack of water on March 12.
| Photo Credit: AP
Anger is mounting in some Johannesburg districts left without water for more than a week, fewer than three months before general elections marked by voter discontent with South Africa’s failing infrastructure.
With power cuts and potholes already part of daily life, recent water shortages have increased the frustration of many over poor service delivery — a key election issue — in the country’s most populous city.
Access to basic services such as water, electricity and refuse collection remain a recurring source of anger for many of the 62 million inhabitants in Africa’s most industrialised nation.
Due to a shortfall in energy production and frequent breakdowns at its ageing power stations, South Africa has for years suffered from economy-crippling, rolling power cuts that at their worst last up to 12 hours a day.
These eased in recent months, but water troubles soon appeared, further fuelling widespread frustration at the ruling African National Congress.
Struggling in the polls, the party risks losing its parliamentary majority for the first time since the advent of democracy in 1994 amid accusations of mismanagement and corruption, and high rates of crime, poverty and unemployment.
Some 27.5 million South Africans are registered to vote in national and provincial elections on May 29.
