ActionSA has received a distressing complaint from workers employed by contractors appointed by Johannesburg Water, who allege that they have not been paid for weeks due to ongoing payment failures involving the City of Johannesburg, Johannesburg Water, and contracted service providers.
Workers employed by Skoba Construction and Fubu Africa report that they commenced work on various Johannesburg Water infrastructure projects on 23 March 2026 and 30 March 2026 respectively. While some workers received partial payments during April, outstanding public holiday payments remained unpaid, with assurances that these amounts would be settled together with their May salaries.
Despite these assurances, workers report that by the end of May 2026 they had still not received their outstanding wages. Matters worsened when Fubu Africa suspended workers on 19 May 2026, citing a shortage of materials, while Skoba Construction halted operations on 27 May 2026 and instructed workers to await further communication. Workers were repeatedly promised payment dates which subsequently passed without any salaries being paid.
According to affected workers, only one contractor, Mohale Construction, appears to have received payment, while employees working for other service providers have been left without income for several weeks. Attempts by workers to obtain clarity from contractors allegedly revealed that Johannesburg Water had not paid certain service providers and that payment delays originated from the City of Johannesburg.
Workers subsequently approached various officials and stakeholders in an effort to seek answers but were allegedly referred from one office to another without receiving meaningful feedback or a clear indication of when their salaries would be paid.
The consequences of non-payment are severe and far-reaching:
- Workers are left without salaries and unable to provide for their families, pay rent, purchase food, or meet basic household obligations.
- Labour rights are undermined when employees perform work in good faith but are not compensated for their services.
- Infrastructure projects are delayed, suspended, or abandoned.
- Critical water and sanitation maintenance work is disrupted, increasing the risk of service interruptions.
- Contractors are unable to purchase materials, retain skilled workers, or meet operational commitments.
- Construction sites become vulnerable to vandalism, theft, and damage, resulting in additional costs to taxpayers.
- Communities are forced to endure prolonged delays in receiving essential services and infrastructure upgrades.
- Public confidence in the City’s ability to govern effectively and deliver services continues to deteriorate.
The continued failure to honour financial obligations creates a dangerous cycle in which contractors cannot function, workers suffer unnecessary hardship, projects stall, and municipal infrastructure continues to deteriorate. Ultimately, it is residents who bear the cost of this dysfunction.
ActionSA therefore calls on the City of Johannesburg and Johannesburg Water to urgently provide a full public explanation regarding all outstanding payments owed to service providers working on Johannesburg Water and City infrastructure projects. Secondly, the City should ensure that all affected workers receive their outstanding salaries and benefits without further delay. Lastly, the City should account to residents for the impact these payment delays are having on ongoing service delivery and infrastructure projects across the city.
The City cannot expect contractors to continue delivering essential infrastructure and maintenance services while failing to honour its financial obligations. Workers deserve to be paid for work already performed, contractors deserve certainty, and residents deserve a municipality that prioritises service delivery over administrative failures.
ActionSA will continue engaging affected workers, monitoring developments, and demanding accountability from both Johannesburg Water and the City of Johannesburg until this matter is resolved.
ActionSA Athol Trollip (National Chairperson) Eastern Cape Heavyweight: A former Federal Chairperson of the DA and the Executive Mayor of Nelson Mandela Bay (2016–2018). The Switch: Joined ActionSA in early 2022, bringing significant administrative experience and a strong support base in the Eastern Cape, specifically Gqeberha. The Role: He oversees the party’s national structures and is the key strategist for rural and metropolitan expansion.
King Panther
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German Coach
Fun South African Fact: The Cape Floral Kingdom is one of the world’s six floral kingdoms – and the only one which is wholly contained within a single country.