{"id":58910,"date":"2025-09-17T11:50:45","date_gmt":"2025-09-17T11:50:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/africa\/?p=58910"},"modified":"2025-09-17T14:43:47","modified_gmt":"2025-09-17T14:43:47","slug":"over-25000-concerned-citizens-demand-safe-water-greenpeace-africa-hands-petition-to-minister-pemmy-majodina","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/africa\/en\/press\/58910\/over-25000-concerned-citizens-demand-safe-water-greenpeace-africa-hands-petition-to-minister-pemmy-majodina\/","title":{"rendered":"Over 25,000 concerned citizens demand safe water: Greenpeace Africa hands petition to Minister Pemmy Majodina"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\n
\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n

Pretoria, South Africa<\/strong> \u2013 Millions of South Africans wake up every day unsure if the water from their taps is safe to drink. Yesterday, Greenpeace Africa delivered a petition<\/strong> signed by over 25,000 concerned people<\/strong>, alongside a Memorandum of Grievances<\/strong>, to the Department of Water and Sanitation<\/strong> in Pretoria, demanding urgent action to end the country\u2019s worsening water crisis.<\/p>\n\n

The crisis at a glance<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

    \n
  • 23% of drinking water is unsafe<\/strong> for human consumption.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • 1 in 3 water systems are on the brink of collapse.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • 40% of water systems fail basic microbiological safety standards.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • 90% of wastewater is released untreated or partially treated<\/strong> into rivers, lakes, and oceans.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n

    Communities across South Africa continue to endure unsafe water, persistent shortages, failing infrastructure, and untreated sewage<\/strong>, affecting health, livelihoods, and dignity.<\/p>\n\n

    Key grievances raised<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

      \n
    • Contaminated rivers, lakes, and water systems that are unsafe for drinking or household use.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Severe shortages limiting access to water for hygiene and basic needs.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Failing water infrastructure causing burst pipes, low water pressure, and malfunctioning public systems.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n

      Demands outlined in the memorandum<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

        \n
      • Urgent rehabilitation and modernization of water and sewage infrastructure.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • Strict enforcement of environmental regulations to curb pollution.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • Investment in sustainable water systems to guarantee safe water for all.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • A detailed, costed roadmap within six months outlining solutions and timelines.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • Official visits to affected communities, including Alexandra and greater Johannesburg, to assess impacts and co-create solutions.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n

        The petition and memorandum were received by Mr Sakhumzi Somyo, Chief of Staff<\/strong> in the office of Minister Pemmy Majodina, who assured Greenpeace Africa that the Department would follow up on the demands<\/strong> and maintain ongoing dialogue. Reports also indicate that the Deputy Minister of Water and Sanitation has made rectifying these concerns an urgent agenda item<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n

        Shumirai Zizhou, Responsive Campaigner at Greenpeace Africa<\/strong>, said:<\/p>\n\n


        “Every day, families across South Africa face unsafe water, broken infrastructure, and severe shortages. This handover sends a clear message: citizens will not wait any longer for action. Greenpeace Africa will continue working with the Department to ensure tangible solutions reach communities in need.”<\/em><\/p>\n\n

        ENDS<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

        Media Contact for Interviews and Follow-Up:<\/strong>

        Sherie Gakii<\/strong> \u2013 Communications and Storytelling Manager, Greenpeace Africa, \ud83d\udcde +254 702 776 749, \u2709\ufe0f sgakii@greenpeace.org<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

        Pretoria, South Africa \u2013 Millions of South Africans wake up every day unsure if the water from their taps is safe to drink. Yesterday, Greenpeace Africa delivered a petition signed by over 25,000 concerned people, alongside a Memorandum of Grievances, to the Department of Water and Sanitation in Pretoria, demanding urgent action to end the country\u2019s worsening water crisis.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":83,"featured_media":58923,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"ep_exclude_from_search":false,"p4_og_title":"","p4_og_description":"","p4_og_image":"","p4_og_image_id":"","p4_seo_canonical_url":"","p4_campaign_name":"not set","p4_local_project":"","p4_basket_name":"not set","p4_department":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33],"tags":[35,65,46],"p4-page-type":[14],"class_list":["post-58910","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-protecttheenvironment","tag-water","tag-southafrica","tag-greenpeaceafrica","p4-page-type-press"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/africa\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/58910","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/africa\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/africa\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/africa\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/83"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/africa\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=58910"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/africa\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/58910\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":58926,"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/africa\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/58910\/revisions\/58926"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/africa\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/58923"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/africa\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=58910"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/africa\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=58910"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/africa\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=58910"},{"taxonomy":"p4-page-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/africa\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/p4-page-type?post=58910"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}