Articles for Seth Thorne
This government office “crushes your soul”
Lawyers complain of backlogs, delays, inefficiency and corruption
By Seth Thorne
News | 17 August 2026
Why do Joburg’s taps keep running dry?
Poor management has caused frequent, prolonged water outages and left many families dependent on water tankers
By Seth Thorne
Feature | 14 August 2026
Cold front strains electricity supply in Joburg
City Power says it is dealing with almost 3,700 power outage calls on Tuesday, mostly from Hursthill, Reuven and Lenasia
By Seth Thorne
News | 11 August 2026
Joburg refuse collection at a standstill as workers block Pikitup depots
Contract workers want the same rights as permanent workers
By Seth Thorne
News | 4 August 2026
Despite sewerage upgrades, Mogale City still polluting Cradle of Mankind
Tests detect high E. coli levels in water flowing from the Percy Stewart treatment plant into the Blougat Spruit
Text by Seth Thorne. Photos by Ihsaan Haffejee.
News | 3 August 2026
Air and water pollution harming Joburg’s poorest communities
Failing wastewater treatment works, ageing sewage infrastructure, smouldering illegal dumps, industrial and urban runoff and a legacy of mining activities have ruined Joburg’s air and water
Text by Seth Thorne. Photos by Ihsaan Haffejee.
News | 30 July 2026
Budget cuts, bureaucracy and payment delays put Gauteng’s most vulnerable at risk
Almost five months into the financial year, some welfare organisations have not been paid
By Seth Thorne
News | 28 July 2026
Tswaing municipality staff have been months without pay
Only the highest-earning workers have been paid since April
By Seth Thorne
News | 22 July 2026
Water tankers everywhere in Joburg, yet surprisingly hard to find
Johannesburg deploys dozens of tankers daily during outages. We tried to find them
By Seth Thorne
News | 26 June 2026