Following seven consecutive days of dry taps, residents of the greater Durban North area, including uMngeni Park and Parkhill, gathered at the intersection of Kenneth Kaunda Road and uMhlanga Rocks Drive to protest on Thursday, 16 April.
The peaceful demonstration was coordinated by community members who claim they have reached a breaking point regarding the eThekwini Municipality’s lack of service delivery. Belinda Hellerle, a resident and community activist, explained that the protest was a desperate plea for basic human rights.
Hellerle said: “We are using this peaceful protest to try and get through to eThekwini water services that we are desperate for water. We have had not a drop of water for seven days. We don’t want to hear any of their stories anymore; we are tired.”
Ward 36 Councillor, Heinz de Boer, noted that city officials recently informed him that the location of the blockage had finally been identified. Residents are now demanding that repairs commence immediately to restore the supply. De Boer further criticised the municipality’s communication strategy, calling for more frequent and transparent updates.
De Boer said: “We need updates; the officials have not been updating us efficiently. They put up one press statement in two weeks—that is not enough.”
Also present to support the community was DA Mayoral candidate, Haniff Hoosen. He described the situation as a citywide crisis and laid the blame on poor fiscal management and a lack of technical expertise within the municipal structures.
Hoosen said: “The reason why we have this situation is that our city government is wasting our money instead of investing it in the infrastructure. More competent people need to be employed by the city in order to see change and better service delivery.”
The protest concluded with the residents compiling a formal memorandum, which was officially handed over to the Ward Councillor. The document demands immediate transparency and accountability from the city regarding infrastructure maintenance.
According to De Boer, the memorandum will be handed to senior city officials, while additional copies will be distributed to managers currently working on-site at the blockage.
