Azra Hoosen | ah@radioislam.co.za
6 February 2024 | 14:00 CAT
2 min read

Residents of Phoenix, located north of Durban, brought the area to a standstill last week, demanding water from the eThekwini municipality. During a meeting with Verulam, Tongaat, and Phoenix residents, Water and Sanitation Minister Senzo Mchunu committed to resolving the water supply challenges in the City of eThekwini by February 15, 2024. However, despite Mchunu’s promises, scepticism persists among the community.

Roshan Lil-Ruthan, a Verulam water crisis committee spokesperson, expressed cautious optimism during an interview with Radio Islam. While hopeful for positive outcomes, Lil-Ruthan admitted to a lingering sense of trepidation due to numerous instances where the eThekwini municipality has failed to deliver on promises. “I hope eThekwini municipality is not setting up the minister for a catastrophic failure and embarrassment,” he said.

Lil-Ruthan elaborated on the origins of the February 15 deadline, explaining that the Minister convened a national delegation to bolster the Verulam water crisis committee’s appeals. The committee emphasised the importance of bringing in additional expertise to collaborate with the eThekwini and UMngeni-uThukela authorities to stabilise the aqueducts from Durban Heights to Mountview Reservoir, ensuring uninterrupted water flow. This collaborative effort has already commenced. Furthermore, a conference was convened involving various experts to address system faults and devise effective strategies for overcoming them, as per Lil-Ruthan.

Lil-Ruthan revealed that the Department of Water and Sanitation intends to replace faulty valves with new ones. “There should be no reason for restrictions or blockages if this is achieved,” he added.

The residents also urged eThekwini Municipality to implement a proper billing system and address water leak repairs urgently.

According to Lil-Ruthan, immediate attention is required for the Hazelmere waterworks, which have not been upgraded for over 50 years. “Despite increased capacity due to recent rains, water had to be discharged into the sea. Had the water treatment works been bolstered and capacity increased, it could have significantly benefited various towns, including those currently experiencing water shortages. The committee has urged the minister to prioritise the revitalization and reinforcement of the existing pipeline from the Hazelmere Dam to Verulam. This entails installing a new pump to ensure continuous water supply to Mountview reservoir in the event of a failure at the Durban reservoir, thus maintaining stability in the bulk reservoir,” he said.

The minister emphasised the uMkhomazi Water Project as a crucial initiative to augment the water supply and ensure water security in the Umngeni Water Supply System. This system provides water to various areas, including eThekwini, uMgungundlovu, iLembe, Ugu, Harry Gwala District Municipalities, and Msunduzi Local Municipality.

“eThekwini is a Water Services Authority responsible for ensuring water reaches citizens. We apologise for the occurrences, and as the National Department of Water and Sanitation, we cannot absolve ourselves, as doing so would be a dereliction of duty. Instead, we are engaging and working with officials from the city,” Mchunu said.

LISTEN to the full interview with Ml Sulaimaan Ravat and Roshan Lil-Ruthan, Verulam water crisis committee spokesperson, here.