TODAY is make or break for the future of the Johannesburg Water infrastructure Upgrade and Rehabilitation Project in Soweto

The project ground to a halt two weeks ago when the Soweto Small, Medium & Micro Enterprises (SMME) Contractors Forum shut down all sites in Meadowlands, Mapetla, Naledi, Bramfisherville and Dlamini Extension 1. They have vowed that no small contractor will work until their grievances are addressed.

After meetings with the Johannesburg municipality and Johannesburg Water last week, another meeting will be held today that will include the main contractors.

The SMMEs, who do the actual implementation on the ground, are protesting against what they say are illegal and unfair business practices by the main contractors.

"Since we started work in December, the scope of the project has been reduced. It seems as if now it is about water conservation - fixing leaks - and not upgrading infrastructure. Old piping is not being changed. Instead, we are told to change washers and rubbers on taps to stop leaks," said Soweto SMME Contractors' Forum chairperson Charles Dibedi.

Forum coordinator Desire Myezo said: "They want to reduce us to labour brokers. They say we should not acquire material, we should just come with labour. There is no skills transfer and no development there."