After more than four months of uncertainty, eThekwini Municipality’s plumbing contractors finally secured a meeting with Mayor Cyril Xaba and senior municipal officials on Wednesday afternoon, raising hopes that a long-running payment and job allocation dispute could soon be resolved.
The meeting, held at the Greenwood Park Community Hall in Durban North, followed months of frustration by contractors who claim they have been without work and have not been paid for invoices dating back to November last year.
The contractors had previously marched to City Hall on more than one occasion and, earlier this week, shut down operations at the Pinetown Water and Sanitation Depot in a bid to force the City’s leadership to address their concerns.
In recent months, the contractors have also questioned the Municipality’s new job allocation system, alleging that it unfairly sidelined long-serving contractors, while raising concerns about the digital invoice submission system introduced in April, which they believe contributed to payment delays. They also alleged irregularities in the appointment of new contractors and called for an investigation into alleged corruption within the department.
During tonight’s engagement, municipal management was given an opportunity to explain the reasons behind the delayed payments, despite legislation requiring service providers to be paid within 30 working days.
Addressing the contractors, Xaba acknowledged their concerns and committed to finding a solution.
“We have listened to all the concerns raised today. Once we receive the list of affected companies together with the outstanding invoices, we will investigate each case to ensure those who are owed money are paid.
A member of the committee, Cllr Mdu Nkosi also commented as said “We will also conduct an internal investigation into the allegations of corruption raised against municipal officials. By Sunday, we should have a final resolution on the way forward.”
Speaking on behalf of the contractors, Zakes Dube welcomed the Mayor’s intervention.
“We are relieved that the Mayor took the time to meet us and listen to our grievances. For months we have been asking for answers without success. We are hopeful that this meeting will lead to a practical solution, that the outstanding payments will be processed, and that we can return to work and continue serving the residents of eThekwini,” said Dube.
The outcome of Sunday’s promised resolution is now expected to determine whether the long-running dispute is finally brought to an end or whether further action will be taken by the contractors.
