eThekwini Municipality mayor Cyril Xaba Picture: DOCTOR NGCOBO/Independent Newspapers
Durban — EThekwini Municipality Mayor Cyril Xaba committed to hosting weekly meetings on water provisions. This commitment was made during an Exco meeting on Tuesday.
“While there is general improvement in service delivery in many areas of our municipality, the provision of reliable water supply remains a challenge,” Xaba said.
Xaba said that he will be convening weekly meetings with relevant stakeholders that will focus solely on water provision in the city.
Furthermore, the City will be conducting site inspections of all water and sanitation projects that are currently under way including the southern and northern aqueducts, Ntuzuma Pump Station, and Adams (Reservoirs 5 and 6). The two aqueducts are critical in the provision of water supply in the uMlazi, Inanda, Phoenix, Chatsworth, KwaMakhutha and Folweni areas.
He said the City is also assessing the progress they’re making on water infrastructure projects in areas such as KwaXimba, Ngonyameni, Maphephetheni, Matata, Umzinyathi, KwaNyuswa, eMfume and Zwelibomvu.
He said some of these communities have not had water for a prolonged period and this must be addressed as a matter of urgency.
“We are pleased that there is a commitment from all spheres of government including the Department of Water and Sanitation and our water utility uMngeni/uThukela to work with us to find a lasting solution to water challenges. This commitment was reiterated when we conducted a site inspection at the Durban Heights Water Treatment Works following the interruption of water supply in the northern area,” Xaba added.
Xaba praised the speed with which they resolved the challenge of the clogging of filters in the plant and demonstrated the steadfastness to tackle water interruptions head-on.
“This is the message that we also conveyed to the ratepayers at our marathon meeting last week Friday. This engagement was aimed at reporting back on service delivery issues they had raised with the municipality in April this year,” Xaba said.
Xaba said while the discussions were at times robust, they were pleased that the engagement demonstrated a commitment from ratepayers to see the city working for its residents.
“Ultimately, all of us want to see eThekwini Municipality become what we all imagine for ourselves – a clean, safe, and prosperous city,” Xaba concluded.
In last week’s meeting with the ratepayer associations, Xaba said to meet increasing water demand, the municipality in collaboration with the Department of Water and Sanitation and uMngeni-uThukela Water, had begun with the construction of the upper Umkhomazi Dam.
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