Long-Suffering Durban Residents Could Wait Years for End to Water Crisis

• Ngonyameni residents in Durban have been relying on eThekwini Municipality’s water tankers for six years.
• Residents told us the communal taps in the area have been dry since late 2019.
• The municipality had said that the Mkhomazi Water Project, which includes the construction of a dam, is their long-term plan to address the water shortage. But it is only expected to be completed in 2032.
• In the meantime, many people have resorted to getting water from a well. Those who can afford to, buy water when the municipal tankers don’t come often enough.

Community members of Ngonyameni near Umlazi, Durban have been relying on eThekwini Municipality’s water tankers for six years. But they told GroundUp the water supply has been inconsistent, leading to some people collecting water from a well which is about a 300 metre walk from their containers.

Residents told us the communal taps in the area have been dry since late 2019.

GroundUp reported on the community’s battles for water more than a year ago. At the time, the DA in KwaZulu-Natal called for the Human Rights Commission to urgently investigate the ongoing water crisis in several communities under the eThekwini municipality.

The municipality had said that the Mkhomazi Water Project, which includes the construction of a dam, is their long-term plan to address the shortage. But it is only expected to be completed in 2032. The municipality said that the water tankers “provide emergency relief” in the short term.

During his budget speech on Wednesday, Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana announced an allocation of R156.3-billion for water and sanitation infrastructure projects. Among the projects mentioned was the Mkhomazi Project which he said “is expected to commence construction in November 2027, transferring water to the Mngeni Water Supply System. This will increase the total capacity of the system to 5-million households in eThekwini and four district municipalities in KwaZulu-Natal”.

Ngonyameni is among many informal areas with fast-growing populations. Because the water projects are still a long way away, residents told us they have no choice but to use the “unhygienic” well.

We returned to the area this week and found pensioner Ayanda Cele and other residents collecting water from the well. She says most people use the well or buy water because the water tanks don’t come often enough.

“We are living in one of the oldest villages under the eThekwini Municipality but we are still being ignored by the municipality,” said Cele.

The DA’s spokesperson in the metro, Thabani Ndlovu, accused municipal officials of ignoring the community’s pleas for better water supply. “People of Durban should make sure that they remove the ruling [ANC] party in the local election in 2026 so they can enjoy good and proper service delivery from other political parties.”

Wisani Baloyi, spokesperson for the Human Rights Commission, said they are aware of the water problems in the metro. He said the commission regularly meets with the municipality and other groups to discuss the crisis. “The Commission will continue to monitor the process of water being supplied by water tankers within eThekwini,” said Baloyi.

UMngeni-uThukela Water is licensed to take 470,000-megalitres a year from the uMngeni Water Supply System to supply eThekwini and four other municipalities. The Department of Water and Sanitation has found that the entity abstracted more than its allowance in 2023.

In a joint statement by the Department, uMngeni-uThukela Water and eThekwini municipality two weeks ago, they stated that the root cause of the water supply disruptions is that current demand exceeds available treated water supply, owing to a combination of population growth and leaks in the municipality’s water distribution systems.

“The City Council approved a water and sanitation turnaround strategy in April 2023, which is now under implementation. The strategy includes ringfencing revenue from the sale of water for the water function, reduction of non-revenue water (NRW), improving leak repair, and disconnection of illegal connections.”

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