EThekwini Mayor, Cllr Cyril Xaba, recently briefed Premier Thami Ntuli on the City’s Water and Sanitation Turnaround Strategy during a meeting held on Friday,
21 February, aimed at improving water supply. The strategy, expected to be tabled before the Exco leadership on Wednesday, 25 February, focuses on curbing water losses, repairing leaks, and installing meters to reduce non-revenue water, which currently exceeds 50%.
The Mayor stressed the importance of these interventions in ensuring long-term sustainability and adequate water supply for the City’s residents. In his address, the Mayor highlighted that the provision of water is a top priority for the City’s leadership, and it is essential to address water challenges with a clear action plan. He emphasised that the leadership is no longer willing to engage in endless discussions and instead wants concrete solutions to be implemented. The strategy aims to detect and repair leaks swiftly and replace outdated infrastructure to optimise the system. The Mayor believes that without addressing these systemic issues, any increase in water supply would be futile, as a significant portion of the water is currently unaccounted for.
The mayor also discussed an investigation by the Special Investigation Unit (SIU) into allegations of corruption and maladministration within the Water and Sanitation Unit, specifically regarding the Ablution Blocks-IN SITU Upgrade project. The investigation follows a similar probe into security services procurement in November. While not formally informed, the Mayor acknowledged the proclamation issued by the President allowing the SIU to investigate allegations of financial misconduct and potential breaches of the Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act.
Emphasising the importance of clean governance, the mayor expressed confidence that these efforts will align with President Ramaphosa’s commitment to transparency and accountability. The Mayor also reiterated the City’s determination to deliver efficient and sustainable services to residents, with the Water and Sanitation Turnaround Strategy serving as a critical step toward achieving this goal.
Meanwhile on the same day, scores of Democratic Alliance (DA) supporters and members of the public protested outside Durban City Hall demanding the removal of eThekwini Municipality’s municipal manager, Musa Mbele, for allegedly failing the city’s residents.
The protest follows ongoing water shortages that have left many residents without a stable supply for days.
DA Provincial Leader Francois Rodgers criticised the eThekwini Municipality’s leadership, saying that it has failed to manage and address the crisis.
“For over 15 years, the DA has not only raised concerns but also submitted solutions to resolve the crisis. However, our calls have fallen on deaf ears. The ANC-run eThekwini Municipality and its coalition partners have demonstrated to the residents of this city that they simply cannot govern.
“The Auditor-General’s report highlighted a lack of accountability as one of the biggest challenges facing eThekwini. It is unacceptable that residents and ratepayers continue to endure such dismal service delivery.
“The city manager must do the honourable thing and resign for the sake of eThekwini’s residents. He has failed to provide a basic service, failed to investigate corruption, and ignored allegations of sabotage regarding the water crisis,” said Rodgers.
He added that the municipality spends up to R50 million per month on water tankers, yet many communities are still without water.
DA leaders, including Rodgers and DA eThekwini Caucus Leader Thabani Mthethwa, handed over a memorandum of demands to the mayor’s office. The memorandum calls for:
• The resignation of the City Manager as the chief accounting officer and CEO of the city.
• The resignation of the Head of Water.
• The mayor to provide reasons why the City Manager and Head of Water should not be replaced if they fail to resign.
• An urgent Special Investigating Unit (SIU) probe into the R50 million spent monthly on outsourced water tankers.
• A detailed report on the causes of the water shortages, the steps taken by the municipality to address the crisis, and a timeline for resolution.
• An investigation into alleged mismanagement of water resources and services.
• A disaster management plan to ensure that, in future crises, emergency water supply arrangements are made in a timely manner.
The mayor’s office was given 21 days to respond to the memorandum, with a response still pending.
