-The municipality’s own water department has admitted it does not have enough plumbers to fix the leaks.
-Residents cannot drink hope, cook with hope or run their businesses with hope.
-It is time for urgent action, accountability and consequences.
eThekwini is losing vast amounts of water, with losses now exceeding 65% and approximately 13 000 water leaks across the city. Even more shocking, the municipality’s own water department has this morning admitted it does not have enough plumbers to fix the leaks and has no clear solution to the crisis.
Just yesterday the DA exposed that 1,869 plumbing contractors and their employees have been left in limbo by eThekwini Mayor Cyril Xaba from continued work whilst the crisis of leaks continue unabated.
When Ednick Msweli, Head of Water and Sanitation, was pressed on how the situation would be resolved, the response was effectively that residents must hope the leaks get fixed.
Hope is not a water strategy. Residents cannot drink hope, cook with hope or run their businesses with hope. They need reliable water and a municipality that can deliver it.
I welcome the visit by Deputy Minister of Water and Sanitation Jack Bloom to Northern eThekwini, including Phoenix and Verulam, following our correspondence to his office highlighting the serious water crisis facing residents.
We specifically asked the Deputy Minister to come to eThekwini and establish what is going wrong with the city’s water infrastructure. I am grateful that he has responded by coming to see the situation for himself.
This is not simply an infrastructure challenge. It is a failure of leadership and accountability.
The Mayor, City Manager and senior leadership responsible for water services are paid to manage these services and solve problems.
Parliamentary oversight must also be used to hold the Mayor, City Manager and responsible leadership accountable.
The message in our LGE 2026 Manifesto could not be more true: government that works for all must deliver the basics – reliable water, functioning infrastructure and responsive services. Residents should never be forced to live with failing services while those responsible escape accountability.
The people of Phoenix, Verulam and communities across eThekwini deserve better, and only when they vote DA can they get better.
The water crisis will not fix itself. Hope is not a turnaround strategy. It is time for urgent action, accountability and consequences.