The Democratic Alliance (DA) in eThekwini is demanding accountability and transparency from the city’s leadership, which has failed to curb the continued increase in water distribution losses, now sitting at an alarming 58.08% of non-revenue water.
Water losses in eThekwini have been increasing steadily:
– 2020/2021: 54%
– 2022/2023: 56.7%
– 2023/2024: 57.8%
– 2024/2025: 58.08%
In a recent council meeting, all parties acknowledged that the municipality’s remedial efforts have failed to deliver results. The city leadership cited leaking pipes and old infrastructure as the primary causes, yet no decisive action has been taken to resolve these long-standing issues.
Considering this, the Democratic Alliance is calling on the City Manager, Musa Mbhele, to do the honourable thing and resign. He has clearly failed in his duties to provide one of the most basic services to the people of eThekwini. Under his leadership, water losses have worsened, infrastructure remains neglected, and residents continue to suffer.
According to internal sources, as of February 2025, eThekwini Municipality has lost an estimated R4.03 billion in water revenue over the past two financial years. The volume of water loss stands at 468,010,665 kilolitres per year, which averages 1,282 megalitres per day.
This is not just a technical or financial failure, it is a failure of governance and leadership.
The DA maintains that the city must urgently invest in modern, resilient infrastructure. Constantly repairing the same burst pipes week after week is a waste of time and money. Continuing to ignore the need for infrastructure renewal is irresponsible and unsustainable.
We are also deeply concerned about the continued underspending on capital expenditure, particularly infrastructure. Temporary solutions like water tankers are inadequate and do not meet the needs of residents, especially pensioners and vulnerable communities.
The DA will leave no stone unturned in holding the ANC-IFP-EFF-coalition to account for this crisis. The residents of eThekwini deserve better. The time for excuses is over. It’s time for real leadership, accountability, and action.