Taps in Durban have been dry for the past eight days Photo Berea Mail
Durban – Durban is currently in the grip of an unprecedented water crisis that has left residents enduring up to eight days of water shortages, sparking widespread frustration and fear. The crisis has hit popular tourist destinations like Durban North, La Lucia, and uMhlanga, raising questions about mismanagement, potential sabotage, and the overall state of governance in the region. This catastrophe not only deprives people of a basic necessity but also shatters the city’s reputation and trust in its leadership, casting a shadow of uncertainty over its future.
The root causes of the Durban water crisis appear to be multifaceted. From mismanagement to vested interests. According to Dr Faisal Suliman, Durban North resident and chairperson of SAMNET, there has been a “very nonchalant attitude” from those in charge towards resolving this.
“There appears to be a vested interest in ensuring that water was not restored timeously and properly. Combination of hiring of incompetent people. In one case valves were left closed that should have been open. There seems to be a deliberate sabotage. Proving it would be a very difficult thing and you would need political will from the municipality which I’m not sure any of us believe there is that political will to do it. Without question, the municipality itself … absolute mismanagement and a very nonchalant, non-caring attitude.”
Suliman has praised councillors who have made their voices heard and protested in their own way to go and see the reservoirs for themselves. However, according to a tweet by Dean Macpherson, Member of Parliament for the DA, residents of Durban North and councillors were being stopped by the South African Police Services from doing an inspection of the water reservoir after not having water for five days.
Residents of Durban North and Councillors are being stopped by SAPS from doing an inspection of the water reservoir after not having water from @eThekwiniM for 5 days. The municipality have no answers, no solutions and want no accountability! This the ANC & EFF coalition at work! pic.twitter.com/XGC9zzw4q0
— Dean Macpherson MP (@DeanMacpherson) September 22, 2023
Community response to the water crisis
In an effort to make their voices heard, residents of Westville have decided to take a new approach. They are withholding the payment of rates to the municipality and putting that money into a trust account until “such time some service delivery, some control on the rampant mismanagement and of wasteful expenditure” comes to an end. A movement that the municipality and mayor has come down on hard, said Suliman.
What adds insult to injury for the residents is that the city manager was given an increase amidst this crisis. Musa Mbhele remuneration package was increased by R1.3 million per year. His salary has increased from R2.6m to a total package of R3.9m.
While water tankers have been deployed to some areas, it has set off alarm bells for the DA. This is due to the water tankers being outsourced to Aqua water tankers. According to a statement by the DA, the Aqua/x-moor contract was not renewed by the eThekwini municipality. Furthermore, Aqua’s owners have been accused of “collusive behaviour” by the city of Johannesburg. DA councillors have also not been told how many municipal tankers are in service, how many have been outsourced or been given a tanker schedule.
Amidst all of this, residents have come together in order to help each other during this ongoing crisis. Several mosques in the affected areas opened their doors to provide water to residents.
“Masjids in Durban North in particular and uMhlanga have started, towards the latter part of this water shedding, to open their boreholes out to the community. Our social welfare division of the SAMNET Caring Sister Network is partnered with Phoenix Cash and Carry. On one truck we are partners and we had those trucks rotating continuously in these areas providing water … The brothers [at the Masjids] have been on duty all the time. From early in the morning, taking turns to ensure the trucks were safe. The trucks were full. The Masjid was open till late in the evening allowing people to come and take water.”
SMread: Water supply improving after week-long outage in parts of Durban
No communication from the municipality
What has caused even more frustrations is the municipality keeping mum on everything. According to the statement by the DA, Mr Ednick Msweli, the Head of Water, has refused to respond to their requests to know the locations of where repairs are being done.
“Councillors are wanting to go and see first-hand where these repairs are happening so as to report back to residents from the ground. In short, DA councillors are being prevented from conducting oversight. The DA is led to believe that multiple valves have been damaged, however officials refuse to say when the damage occurred, where these valves are, what caused the damage, why it took so long to locate them and when they will be replaced/repaired? Officials will not not give councillors any sorts of timelines as to when repairs will be completed or reservoirs restored.”
Durban heavily relies on tourism as a significant source of revenue and employment. The ongoing water crisis has severely impacted the tourism industry, potentially deterring visitors during the holiday season. Addressing this issue promptly is crucial for the region’s economic recovery.
The Durban water crisis serves as a glaring indictment of mismanagement and underscores the imperative of community resilience. Unavoidably, probing questions must be raised about the municipality’s actions. Why did the city manager receive not just a raise, but an exorbitant one, given the litany of disasters that have unfolded under his purview? And why was a company, whose contract hadn’t been renewed and whose owners face allegations of collusion, entrusted with the responsibility of providing water tankers in this dire hour? As this troubling metropolis embarks on the arduous journey to resolve this catastrophe and resuscitate its vital tourism sector, it is imperative to confront the systemic issues plaguing the municipal council and champion transparency and accountability in public service delivery. The people of Durban, who have endured the brunt of this crisis, deserve nothing less than dependable access to clean water and a robust governance framework.
