The DA in uThukela District has written to the Municipal Manager, Bongani Mnguni to request for details of the insurance policies and claims applicable to the Ezakheni Pump Station and to the six APE pumps in particular .
The DA’s letter dated, 03 March 2023, is yet to receive a response from the MM or his office. Whilst the DA has been informed that the MM has been in the hospital and we wish him a speedy and full recovery, there is no reason why an acknowledgement has not been sent from his office. This, as the information requested is historical and of an administrative nature, there is no reason why the municipal staff cannot prepare a full response.
The request for details of the insurance on the Ezakheni Pump Station equipment arise from official answers that were tabled in the uThukela Council Sitting on 24 February 2023 by the Municipal Manager, which confirmed that the plant and equipment belonging to the Uthukela District Municipality are insured and that claims had been submitted for the damage to the six Ezakheni pumps that were damaged beyond repair during floods in early 2022.
The questions put to Municipal Manager, relate specifically to alleged damage to the Ezakheni Water Abstraction Plant where six industrial pumps installed by Umgeni Water a mere two years before were “damaged beyond repair” during floods in early 2022.
These questions include:
• Details of claims submitted as a result of the damage to the six pumps,
• Copies of Insurance Assessor/Loss Adjuster reports,
• In-house uThukela damage reports,
• The insurance payout received.
This information is crucial given that the cost of these pumps and Auxiliaries only two years before they were “damaged beyond repair” had amounted to R45 million. In addition, these pumps are responsible for supplying water to over 70 000 residents and there must be an emergency plan to ensure that water continues to be supplied when there is a breakdown.