No-go danger zones in South Africa blocking critical work

Gauteng water utility Rand Water has flagged two serious problems in the province that thwart its critical water maintenance efforts leading to persistent issues.

The first is what it calls ‘servitude encroachment’, where formal and informal housing developments are erected over or close to the group’s infrastructure.

The second is what it deems ‘hostile communities’, where Rand Water maintenance workers are attacked on sight when trying to work on infrastructure that has been damaged due to tampering and illegal connections.

Presenting to the portfolio committee on Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs on Tuesday (18 March), the utility identified 20 areas in the wider Joburg area that were particularly aggressive.

It said that the aggression is on two levels, the first level is what it simply calls hostile areas, where Rand Water workers cannot enter without a security escort and armoured vehicles.

Rand Water said it is generally able to access these areas during the day, and they are able to engage with some of the community to gain amicable access to do its work.

However, there are communities that show an entirely different level of aggression, which the group deems “no-go areas”.

Utility workers cannot access these areas without a tactical team escort and often have to work at night.

Rand Water said the hostile communities are directly tied to areas experiencing constant vandalism of infrastructure, which is reported to the South African Police Service (SAPS).

It said that illegal connections are disconnected when identified and repair work is done to vandalised infrastructure—but when the communities are hostile, these actions are repeated.

The communities then threaten Rand Water staff when trying to access the area, forcing the group to conduct joint operations with disaster management agencies, law enforcement and the municipalities.

The problem bleeds into the wider consumption problem in the province where municipalities are consuming far more water than the systems can manage, leading to supply issues.

Hostile areas identified by Rand Water

Rand Water identified these areas as hostile:

• The area between Azaadville and R28
• Leon Ferrera & Germiston Road
• Main Reef Road – Benoni
• Trichardt Road – Benoni
• Boksburg Lake
• Main Reef Road – Roodepoort
• Bekkersdal & Cooke 3 Shaft
• Mine North – Westenaria
• Emhlangeni Informal Settlement – Krugersdorp
• Lewisham – Krugersdorp
• Chamdor – Krugersdorp
• Millsite – Krugersdorp
• Esidimeni – Krugersdorp
• Windsor Road – Krugersdorp
• Randfontein Road
• Soshanguve Informal Settlement
• Rosslyn informal stands/ houses
• Atteridgeville Informal Settlement
• Orange Farm Informal Settlement near N1.

No-go areas identified by Rand Water

Rand Water identified these areas as no-go:

• Mooi Street in Johannesburg
• West of Nasrec
• Between Riverlea and Nasrec
• Phomolong – N17 Road
• Simmer & Jack in Primrose

Properties blocking access to infrastructure

While not as dangerous for Rand Water workers, servitude encroachment does lead to delays in executing projects, the group said.

And it can prove fatal to residents, if their curiosity gets the better of them and they interfere with infrastructure.

Rand Water pointed to reports of a fatality in 2024 when a resident in one of these encroachment areas was “blown apart” by an explosive jet of pressurised water when they tampered with an air valve.

The utility pointed out that informal settlements and temporary strictures are typically the ones that impede access in this way.

However, this was not exclusively. It noted that some formal developments, such as luxury golf estates, had also encroached on its service lines.

Examples of vandalised infrastructure and illegal connections