The unending water woes of eThekwini: a call for accountability
AS WE step into 2025, it is disheartening to witness the persistent water crisis that has left many areas within the eThekwini Municipality grappling with basic human rights infringements. For a full week, residents from various parts of the municipality, including Ntuzuma, Verulam and Tongaat, have endured an unbearable situation: no access to water. This crisis is not just a temporary inconvenience but a glaring example of systemic failure and neglect.
Despite the Minister of Water and Sanitation, Pemmy Majodina, announcing a temporary upliftment of water curtailment intended to provide relief, the residents of eThekwini have seen no improvement The question looms large: where has the water produced by uMngeni-uThukela gone?
Observations suggest that it has been redirected to the Golden Mile, Umhlanga, Ballito, and other affluent business tourism sectors. This prioritiSation flies in the face of the residents and ratepayers of eThekwini, who continue to suffer without essential services.
The Verulam Water Crisis Committee (VWCC), alongside the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC), established a war room to tackle this issue more than a year ago. Yet, effective communication and cooperation from the eThekwini Municipality's management of water and sanitation services remain elusive. This blatant disregard for the principles of Batho Pele and the rights of taxpayers is nothing short of appalling.
The Department of Water and Sanitation, along with uMngeni-uThukela, are witnesses to these ongoing violations, yet no action has been taken against the municipality. This inaction is a testament to the systemic negligence. The fact that I had to re-engage the deputy president, who then had to involve the premier, and subsequently the premier had to engage the mayor to get water back in our homes, proves that the situation is not infrastructure-related.
The current state of service delivery within the eThekwini Municipality is unacceptable and cannot be tolerated any longer. The lack of consequence management, from the MEC of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) in KwaZulu-Natal to the mayor and the eThekwini Water and Sanitation (EWS) management, has led to a gross neglect of duty. Residents continue to receive bills for zero services, adding insult to injury.
There is now an apparent deliberate withholding of information to VWCC. Previously, we received regular, if not daily, updates on the reservoir status from Durban Heights to Verulam and all areas in between, including Tongaat. This abruptly ceased without explanation. It's evident that this is being done to prevent organisations from witnessing the manipulative water distribution at the detriment of struggling communities. Sadly, in 2025, these officials flout the very foundational principles of transparency, openness, and accountability in government.
The VWCC had to write to the deputy president and the premier of KwaZulu-Natal to get an intervention, simply because of a refusal without reason to communicate. Even the SAHRC has been persistently raising this very conduct and is being ignored.
Areas in Tongaat have now been without water for three weeks. The withholding of critical information has again reared its ugly head here. Almost daily bursts on the mainline are commonplace. The mayor recently visited Tongaat, bypassing Verulam without explanation. The promises made by the mayor are empty. The deputy president, as the head of the Presidential Task Team, must act decisively. The minister of Water Affairs and Sanitation cannot be a bystander to these atrocities, including the premier of KwaZulu-Natal.
January 4th, was recorded as one of the hottest days in eThekwini, many places recording temperatures in excess of 40 degrees Celsius. Thousands of people in our community were left without water, and even worse, the tankers dispatched were too few. The municipality expected the elderly and frail to fetch water in the sweltering heat. This is a direct violation of our human rights.
The residents of Durban are calling for immediate and decisive action. It is time for the errant officials responsible for this deplorable state of affairs to be held accountable. The people of eThekwini deserve better, and they look to their leaders to ensure their rights and well-being are safeguarded.
As we navigate the challenges of a new year, let this be a rallying cry for justice and accountability. The water crisis in eThekwini is not just a local issue; it is a reflection of broader systemic failures that must be addressed with urgency and integrity.
Roshan Lil-Ruthan has been an advocate for the people of eThekwini, addressing service delivery challenges and especially the critical water shortages in Ntuzuma, Phoenix, Verulam and Tongaat. As a trade union chief negotiator, he spearheaded the formation of the Verulam Water Crisis Committee, collaborating with the South African Human Rights Commission and various stakeholders and government officials.