Plumbing contractors marched from King Dinuzulu Park to the Durban City Hall on Monday, demanding answers from eThekwini Municipality over delayed tenders, a lack of work and what they described as unfair procurement processes.
The group handed over a memorandum addressed to Mayor Cyril Xaba, outlining several grievances and calling for urgent intervention. However, more than two hours after arriving at City Hall, the contractors were still waiting outside for a municipal official to receive the memorandum.
In the memorandum, the contractors called for clarity on the Panel of Plumbing Contractors Tender (W30667-5W), which was advertised in December 2025, saying they had received no feedback despite waiting for months.
They also demanded an explanation as to why contractors on the municipal roster were allegedly not being allocated work, claiming this was negatively affecting service delivery.
The contractors further requested answers regarding Tender W338157-A for the management of plumbing works. They alleged that despite repeated attempts to engage the municipality’s water department, officials had refused to meet with their committee.
The memorandum also accuses senior officials in the Auxiliary Services Department of failing to fulfil their responsibilities and alleges that municipal systems have been manipulated through the use of so-called “ghost” plumbers. These allegations have not been independently verified.
The contractors further claimed that five main contractors had been appointed and were allegedly using only selected plumbers without consulting those already registered on the municipality’s roster. They also alleged that some plumbers had been encouraged to work under the appointed contractors rather than being contracted directly by the municipality.
The group is demanding that municipal management meet with them to explain the procurement process and provide clarity on the outstanding tenders. They also called on the mayor to respond to the memorandum within 72 hours.
At the time of publication, the contractors remained outside City Hall waiting for the memorandum to be accepted. eThekwini Municipality had not yet commented on the matter.
