​Lerato Mailoane
Gauteng's water challenges are set to become a thing of the past, as Premier Panyaza Lesufi lauded the upgrade of Rand Water's Zuikerbosch Water Treatment Plant. 
Construction is now at an advanced stage, and the plant promises to enhance water security for millions of Gauteng residents. 
Premier Lesufi, joined by Minister of Water and Sanitation Pemmy Majodina and various Gauteng mayors, visited the Station 5A and B Plant Upgrade Project to assess its progress. The new water purification facility has been under construction since 2015 as part of Rand Water's efforts to expand its capacity at the Zuikerbosch Water Treatment Plant.
"I have seen the new Jerusalem," Premier Lesufi said after the plant inspection in Vereeniging on Tuesday, 25 March 2025.
Premier Lesufi said this is a symbol of hope for the people of Gauteng as it will enhance water security for millions of people in Gauteng and other parts of the country.
Upon completion, the R 3.9 billion mega-project will augment Rand Water's current water supply capacity by an additional 1,200 million litres per day (ML/Day) of potable water, thereby contributing to Gauteng's water security. It will serve an additional 2,400,000 people at a consumption rate of 250 litres per person per day. 
The Zuikerbosch Water Treatment Works System is Africa's biggest state-of-the-art purification plant and one of Rand Water's key water supply infrastructures. It supplies water to the three major cities in Gauteng.
Minister Majodina said the upgrade would create Africa's largest state-of-the-art water purification facility, which would become a cornerstone of Rand Water's infrastructure. 
"This institution is augmenting the water supply in Gauteng, Northwest, Mpumalanga and the Free State. This is the first of its kind after forty years in the continent.
"We are going to give people enough water, but as we do that, we must stop all leakages,"
The visit forms part of the National Water Month programme. The Department will convene the 2025 Water and Sanitation Indaba from 27 to 28 March under the theme "Water security and provision."
The Indaba, whose focus is water security and water provision, takes place during National Water Month is also Human Rights Month, a significant period that underlines the importance of water as a fundamental human right and a critical resource for socio-economic development. 
Given South Africa's classification as a water-scarce country, with rainfall levels significantly below the global average and further exacerbated by climate change, the Indaba will prioritise the development of a high-level national turnaround plan on water security. This strategy will align with the 7th Administration's Medium-Term Development Plan (2025-2029) objectives and Operation Vulindlela 2.0 to ensure a water-secure and resilient future.
The Water and Sanitation Indaba seeks immediate solutions that will ensure a reliable and sustainable water supply to communities.