Neelam Rahim | neelam@radioislam.co.za
3-minute read
30 July 2025 | 15:50 CAT

📷 Residents in Umsunduzi collect water from a tanker as prolonged shortages persist in the area. Photo: The Witness

An escalating water crisis has gripped the Umsunduzi municipality, with residents in areas like Northdale and Ward 30 enduring dry taps for up to nine days. What was once a “picturesque, beautiful city” is now described by DA Councillor Ross Strachan as “a shell of the city it used to be,” marred by years of maladministration, corruption and infrastructure collapse.

Speaking to Radio Islam, Strachan painted a grim picture. “The water department has completely collapsed,” he said, adding that the South African Human Rights Commission has been investigating multiple complaints across the city.

Despite growing outrage, the ANC-led coalition government has been slow to respond, and proposals by opposition parties to address the crisis have been repeatedly voted down. “Our people’s dignity, health, and basic human rights are stripped away,” Strachan said. “Rate-paying areas are going without water for prolonged periods, sometimes for two days at a time.”

The DA has proposed a comprehensive rescue plan, not just for water but for the city’s broader infrastructure woes. Key elements include public-private partnerships, borehole installations in areas like Elanskop, which has gone eight years without reliable water and hiring senior staff “fit for purpose.”

“Our city has a 60% vacancy rate in the water department, possibly the highest in the country,” said Strachan. “Engineers and plumbers are either not hired or lack vehicles and resources. Many sit at home.”

Accusations of sabotage, especially ahead of elections, have prompted Strachan to call for an independent forensic investigation. He’s also appealed to the Ministers of Water and Sanitation, and Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA), to reintroduce Section 139 interventions. “Umsunduzi never should have come out of Section 139C,” he noted. “We’ve regressed even further since.”

Strachan concluded with a stark warning: “If left unchecked, investors and businesses will pull out, and jobs will vanish. There is no time left for political games. We need national and provincial government to act decisively.”

As pressure mounts, residents wait, still without water, hoping that their taps will soon run again, and that accountability, not excuses, will finally flow.

Listen to then full interview on The Daily Round-Up with Moulana Junaid Kharsany and DA Councillor Ross Strachan.