Midrand residents take empty buckets to City of Joburg offices to demand water

Midrand residents from Ward 79 carried empty buckets to City of Joburg offices on 23 October 2026 to protest a water crisis in their area
The group stood in line outside the municipal building, demanding that city officials address the ongoing water service disruptions
South Africans praised the residents for taking their protest directly to city offices without blocking roads

A group of Midrand residents made their frustration impossible to ignore. On 23 October 2026, Ward 79 community members arrived at City of Joburg offices carrying empty buckets, turning a basic household item into a powerful statement about the water crisis affecting their area.

Johannesburg mayor confronted by residents over water outage. Image: @newsnexussa
Source: UGC

The footage, captured outside what appears to be a municipal building entrance in Midrand, shows residents queuing with their buckets in hand. The on-screen caption on the TikTok video posted by @newsnexussa read: "Ward 79 Midrand residents taking buckets to ask City of Joburg for water. 23 Oct 2026."

The protest shared by @newsnexussa was calm and deliberate. Instead of shutting down roads or staging a disruptive demonstration, residents chose to walk directly into the offices of those responsible for their water supply. The visual of empty buckets said everything that needed to be said. The clip quickly gained traction online, with many South Africans applauding the community for the way they chose to make their voices heard. Watch the Ward 79 residents arrive at City of Joburg offices:

Mzansi reacts to Ward 79 protest

South Africans in the comments had plenty to say:

@Sipho Mntungwa omuhle wrote:

"Not long ago they were welcoming spring by throwing water on people ☹️"

@Bhelelihle said:

"So much respect 🙏 You don't close roads, straight to their offices 😌"

@🌺Bekka🌺 added:

"This is kak funny, show them people don't be quiet, they would not expect people to come to office for water, it's right, more must go"

@KOEN@ noted:

"A lot of villagers in South Africa struggled with water for years under the leadership of the so called ANC."

@Mr. Moses observed:

"Funny how everything bad is happening prior to local elections 😏"

@Trevor Pillay said:

"Why ask for something that is your right to have, vote this corrupt government out"

@Wikus Potgieter warned:

"Imagine El Niño hasn't hit us yet, and we are faced with this. I'm telling you guys, a lot of people are going to die from drought."

Midrand residents take empty buckets to City of Joburg offices to demand water

Mzansi reacts to Ward 79 protest

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