Durban residents at the forefront of burning community issues have expressed dismay and disappointment in what they call a publicity stunt, after Water and Sanitation Minister Senzo Mchunu visited the city to discuss issues surrounding water service delivery.
eThekwini Municipality councillor in Ward 35, Nicole Bollman and Zain Soosiwala, founder of eThekwini Secure, which operates in central Durban, said the minister was too late to the party.
Soosiwala, who works in areas like Musgrave, Berea and Morningside, said communities have lost trust in the City’s administration to manage problems and have begun finding solutions on their own.
IOL asked him what he thought of Minister Senzo Mchunu’s visit on Wednesday to discuss water service delivery in eThekwini.
“Take a look at everything around us that is happening. How can they do assessments now? Our government in eThekwini does little to actually address issues, but still stage these PR stunts to trick the public into thinking they are finding solutions.
“The government simply does not care about the problems of these communities.
“There is a saying that the next war will be fought over water and when that time comes, we will look to civil and private society to provide relief because our government has left us on our own,” Soosiwala said.
“Minister Mchunu going around now and assessing the situation after everything that has happened is a little too late. The horse has already left the stable.”
On Wednesday, Minister Mchunu and Mayor Mxolisi Kaunda staged a water imbizo in uMlazi to talk about water supply issues.
Residents from the north, south and western parts of the metropole have long complained about their plight regarding water, but these cries have fallen on deaf ears.
Minister Mchunu said on Wednesday he was calling a national water meeting in Johannesburg as a result of these concerns, the Mercury reported.
Mchunu also took note of the South African Human Rights Commission report into the state of water in KwaZulu-Natal, which was released earlier this year.
The report found damning evidence based on community interviews, that municipalities across the province, including eThekwini, violated the rights of residents by failing to provide access to clean drinking water.
“We have studied the report, we have started a preliminary response, saying that we welcome the report and its recommendations.
“On January 18 and 19, we are calling all 184 water service authorities, including those in KZN, to Johannesburg, where we will comprehensively address this matter of water quality (in this province), in Limpopo and in all provinces, including those visited by the Commission,” Mchunu said.
But the Democratic Alliance’s (DA) Bollman also shared the same sentiments as Soosiwala, saying that it was a time for acting on solutions and not sitting down to discuss problems already identified.
She said because of the government's poor planning toward actually fixing water problems, these types of events only gave false hope to the vulnerable.
“They should have acted a long time ago. Meetings used to be productive, now they are just another aspect of smoke and mirrors. Giving the vulnerable false hope that something will be done.
“I personally prefer proactive as opposed to reactive - these issues should have been noted and contingencies planned a long time before now.
“To be having these discussions after some areas have been without water to their taps for years, and now this current debacle, is possibly too late, given the amount of time and budget required to sort things out,” Bollman said.
By “current debacle”, Bollman was referring to the fluctuating E. coli levels on Durban beaches as a result of dysfunctional wastewater treatment plants and human waste ending in our rivers, and ultimately the ocean.
The City has also roped in a new team of administrators to fix water issues plaguing one of the country’s largest and most economically active cities.
The trio includes former eThekwini City manager Sibusiso Sithole, former Harry Gwala District Municipality manager Nandi Dlamini, and former Ugu District Municipality Water Services Authority executive Maxwell Pawandiwa.
IOL has also reached out the Minister’s office regarding the E. coli situation in eThekwini and is awaiting their reply.
IOL