The eThekwini Municipality has announced plans to restrict privately owned water tankers, including the processing of outstanding invoices.
The temporary suspension is due to delayed payments, which the City has not denied.
The City said in a statement on Tuesday, the delays were caused by “budgetary constraints toward the end of the 2024/2025 financial year.”
Cyril Xaba, Mayor of the City, has given a directive to Municipal officials to urgently tighten controls in the management of private water tankers, following their no-shows in the north of Ntuzuma and Umzinyathi.
Xaba said “while the City has embarked on a process of procuring its own water tankers, the private tankers still play a critical role in supplementing the City-owned fleet of 299 tankers, especially in areas experiencing intermittent water supply. The processing of invoices may seem like a routine administrative task, but for many communities, it is the difference between having access to water or going without. Water is life, and we must ensure that no community is left languishing without it.”
In addition, Xaba said the City is reviewing its internal financial workflows, introducing tracking systems and enhancing coordination between departments to ensure that all legitimate invoices are processed and paid within agreed timelines.