Unpaid water and sanitation contractors have protested against eThekwini Municipality, warning that the city’s ability to address thousands of water leaks and burst meters could be affected if outstanding payments remain unresolved. The protest, which also highlighted growing concerns over water security in township communities, took place at the Water and Sanitation offices in Pinetown on 15 September.
Contractor representative Sbusiso Khanyile said some experienced plumbers and artisans are now falling deeper into debt while continuing to wait for outstanding payments. He raised concerns about changes to the contracting model. He said: “An earlier understanding was that managers would be selected from within the existing contractor pool. More than 200 additional people were tested on Saturday (12 September), despite there being approximately 1 800 contractors already forming part of the existing pool. They are trying to remove those who are already here and hire those that don’t know the procedures.”
Khanyile mentioned that within the council, there are currently 55 hired plumbers and that this is not enough to deal with the many leaks and burst meters across the city. He further alleges that contractors are expected to pay 15% to managers after completing work, while contractors themselves remain unclear about the contractual relationship under which they would operate.
Adding to Khanyile’s concerns, Democratic Alliance Ward 37 Proportional Representative councillor Zamani Khuzwayo said contractors allege that some companies linked to municipal officials have already been paid while others remain unpaid. He also pointed out that Westridge residents, which falls within his ward, have gone months without water and that this issue further impacts them. “How does eThekwini expect to deal with more than 13 000 active water leaks if some of the people contracted to repair its water infrastructure say they cannot continue working because the city has not paid them? Contractors say outstanding payments stretch back to last year, while some claim they have gone two to three months without being paid. One contractor said she is owed more than R140 000.”
At the time of publication, eThekwini Municipality had not responded to requests for comment.
