The Verulam Water Crisis Committee said it is outraged and appalled by governance at the Ethekwini Municipality.
It also said the Municipality is under” dire financial straits, which have now reached a critical point where basic service delivery is virtually non-existent.”
Roshan Lil-Ruthan, the Communications Spokesperson and Liaison for the Committee, said the provision of essential services such as water, sanitation, and electricity has been neglected, with no maintenance or upgrades carried out.
“Today, without any funds, the situation has deteriorated to unbearable levels, leaving our communities in a state of desperation.”
She said the situation in Verulam and surrounding suburbs, is volatile.
“Communities have been left without water for days, and in some areas, residents are receiving only air in their pipes—air for which they will undoubtedly be billed. The plight of Trenance Park residents, as an example, is particularly harrowing, as they have been burdened with exorbitant bills amounting to tens of thousands of rands, despite having no access to water. Despite media intervention, no assistance has been forthcoming from the EWS accounting division for over two weeks.”
The eThekwini Municipality received an unqualified audit opinion from the Auditor-General South Africa (AGSA) for the 2023/2024 financial year.
It emerged from a Council meeting held on Thursday, that the mid-year performance assessment shows that eThekwini Municipality achieved 68.07% as of 31 December 2024. The Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre achieved 84.62%, and the Durban Marine Theme Park achieved 85.71% during the same period.
The Municipality also said its overall mid-year performance is above 60% compared to the last three financial years, a decrease compared to the 2023/2024 financial year was noted.
Last Sunday, the Municipality’s Gugu Sisilana, said the City is not bankrupt.
She said it’s fake news that some of the City’s departments are bankrupt, including Water and Sanitation, Parks, Recreation and Cemeteries, Electricity as well as Cleansing and Solid Waste.
City Manager Musa Mbhele said “it should be highlighted that the municipality is currently doing mid-term performance review in terms of the Municipal Finance Management Act (MFMA) and it has been noted that some expenditure items are higher than normal due to various reasons, including adverse whether conditions which required more resources, for instance the heatwave affected a number of our electricity substations and the persistent heavy rain impacting our water infrastructure.
The mid-term review will inform the adjustment budget that is being finalized for the Council meeting in February. The need for adjustment budget is normal taking into account our complex operations and is provided for in the MFMA. This was also done in the previous financial year.”
Mbhele also said allegations of plumbers not being dispatched to attend to water leaks, is also untrue.
“The Water Network Branch responsible for this function continues to deploy both internal and contracted plumbers to attend to burst pipes and leaks order for the City to save water.”
The eThekwini Ratepayers Protest Movement (ERPM) said in a press statement, Mbhele’s claims that all is well in the City, is not true.
The ERPM said four questions must be answered by the City:
*” Why are there no electricity prepaid meters for some residents, who have waited for 18 months for them?
Why are there no replacement water meters?
Requisitions are ignored because departmental warehouse stores are empty.
Contractors are still awaiting payment.”
Picture: MSC Cruises