Jobless and Unpaid: Water Project Stops as Workers Wait for Money

A water pipe installation project in Johannesburg has stopped, and more than 30 workers have not been paid for over a month. The project stopped because Johannesburg Water, the company that runs the city's water, says it does not have enough money.

One worker, Vusi Maleka, is 42 years old and looks after seven people at home. He got only one payment since starting work in April. He says, 'I was supposed to get R6,200 but only received R6,020 because of a technical problem. They said they would pay the rest later, but the next month's payment never came.'

Maleka has not had a permanent job since 2020. He does small jobs when he can. He says, 'I support five children aged two to 21. Rent alone is R2,200. Every cent from this contract mattered. There were times I went two weeks without any money coming in.'

Johannesburg Water spokesperson Nombuso Shabalala said the contractor, Fubu Africa, sent all the invoices for payment. She said, 'The delay is because the city itself is having cash-flow problems. We are working with the city to speed up the payment.' The project was supposed to finish by June 26, but now it may be extended.

The workers were hired for four months but only worked two. The contractor stopped work until the money is paid. Shabalala said, 'The project has not been cancelled. It is temporarily suspended until the outstanding payments are settled.'

A commissioner from the Public Service Commission, Anele Gxoyiya, said workers who are not paid should report to his office. He said, 'Sometimes officials ask for bribes before paying. We need to fix this problem.'

National Treasury reports that over 95,000 invoices worth R12.4 billion were unpaid beyond 30 days in the second quarter of 2025/2026. That is 17% more than the previous quarter.

This article was originally published on Sowetan.