Tempers were frayed this morning when a small group of protesters from Sibongile converged on Umzinyathi District Municipality’s offices on Victoria Street in KZN to protest ongoing water cuts in the area.

A sit-in was planned but security officials, backed up by dogs, kept the protesters at bay. Many banged empty buckets to show their fury over the lack of water.

Security officers got the group to move beyond the palisade gates and onto the pavement, where their protests continued.

Endumeni has been plagued by ongoing water ‘shedding’ for over 17 years, with most areas having no water for over 12 hours a day. Shoddy infrastructure and a ‘too-small’ reservoir at the Biggarsberg Water Treatment plant have been blamed for the water cuts.

Officials from the Department of Co-operative Government and Traditional Affairs were said to be in meeting at the building when protesters went to the office.