Durban water woes persist

CRISIS: RESIDENTS TO WAIT FOR YEARS

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Community members of Ngonyameni near Umlazi, Durban, have been relying on eThekwini Municipality's water tankers for six years.

But they said the water supply has been inconsistent, leading to some people collecting water from a well about a 300-metre walk from their containers.

Residents said the communal taps in the area have been dry since late 2019.

GroundUp reported on the community's battles for water more than a year ago.

At the time, the DA in KwaZulu-Natal called for the Human Rights Commission to urgently investigate the water crisis in several communities under eThekwini municipality.

The municipality said the Mkhomazi Water Project, which includes the construction of a dam, was their long-term plan to address the shortage but was only expected to be completed in 2032.

It said the water tankers "provide emergency relief" in the short term.

During his budget speech last Wednesday, Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana allocated R156.3 billion for water and sanitation infrastructure projects.