DURBAN - KwaZulu-Natal Premier Sihle Zikalala said there were plans in place to deal with the water crisis in Ugu District Municipality.
Zikalala was speaking during a site visit at St Helen’s Rock Storage Dam and the iBhobhoyi plant prior to a stakeholder engagement session at the Ugu Sports and Leisure Centre.
Zikalala said the persistent water crisis in Ugu is crippling the tourism sector and threatening livelihoods. On Monday, one person was shot during a protest over the continuous interruption of water supply to homes in the Ugu District that became chaotic.
Zikalala said he would ensure that water supply was restored immediately in areas that have water reticulation systems.
He said in areas where the infrastructure needed to be either upgraded or repaired, water tankers would be provided by the municipality for a short period.
“Within the short term (the plan) is to ensure that capacity is restored; (the) medium-term (plan) would be to refurbish some of the infrastructure, while the long-term plan would holistically overhaul some of the areas that need re-purposing to full upgrade.
“We are here to deal with the crisis of water once and for all. In some areas we will continue to supply water maybe (for) six months to a year. In areas that already have the infrastructure we will ensure that the issue of capacity is immediately addressed and water is supplied as soon as we can,” Zikalala said.
He said they have also established structures that will include communities.
“Firstly it’s the insufficient capacity that affects the infrastructure areas such as the dam. However, with the intervention that we have established as the provincial government we are convinced it will be addressed.
“We are engaging with stakeholders because we want to put in place structures that will be able to help us if there are any crises, and communicate immediately to speedily resolve issues,” Zikalala said.
The district is home to over 898 000 citizens, and it remains a strategic district in KwaZulu-Natal as a destination of investment and economic growth, and the development of the people.
Residents complained that the municipality was using the water crisis as an excuse to permanently use water tankers.
Sphelele Cele, youth chairperson at Ray Nkonyeni Municipality, said: “There has been a shortage of water tankers in the area for years now. We understood because we knew it was a temporary solution. However, recently the municipality has bought new tankers which also raises eyebrows to us, as it seems they are now making them a permanent solution.
“We want fixing pipes to be a priority and not buying new water tankers.”
Wanda Shinga, owner and director of Ozone Amanzi, which purifies water and ice in Ogwini in Ray Nkonyeni Municipality, said running his business successfully was almost impossible.
An unemployed Thandazani Mbhele from Umzumbe said his mother was now buying water at a cost of almost R450 per month, an amount he described as too much for a domestic worker.
Daily News