The week long water crisis affecting more than 100 000 residents North of Durban has had a disastrous impact on the prime tourism region.
Known for some of KwaZulu-Natal’s (KZN) premier hotels and hundreds of guest houses, North Durban has borne the brunt of further economic losses.
Admissions by eThekwini Municipality that sabotage and tampering may be behind large parts of Umhlanga, Durban North, Redhill and Effingham not receiving water is adequate proof of a dysfunctional city.
KZN’s tourism sector simply cannot afford to carry the impact of these catastrophic water interruptions – with no end in sight to the crisis.
Alarmingly, the ANC-run provincial government and its Economic Development cluster remain silent on the crisis and its potential impact on business and tourism.
Moreover, provincial government appears unconcerned about schools being closed for days and the potential health impacts on communities that pay some of the highest property rates in eThekwini.
The ANC’s back to basic programme has failed. It’s massive bungling of the sewerage crisis, inability to deal with ongoing beach closures – and now a water crisis over the Heritage Day long weekend – smack of a disinterested political hierarchy.
The DA has firmly spelt out its demands to eThekwini officials in this crisis. Water must be restored to protect our already vulnerable communities and tourism sector.
An agile response is now needed from provincial government to compel eThekwini Municipality to deliver the most basic of services.
The power to protect our right to water and grow our economy begins at the ballot box in 2024.