New Year, same old dry taps for Glencoe and Dundee residents
Another urgent meeting has been called for next Tuesday between the Endumeni Residents Association, ERA, and Umzinyathi representatives to discuss the water issue.

New year, same dry taps…
The ongoing water crisis in Endumeni has prompted local councillors to call for urgent intervention from KZN’s MEC for Co-operative Governance & Traditional Affairs (CoGTA).
Glencoe, Wasbank and parts of Dundee have been hit particularly hard, with some residents of Sibongile reporting that their taps have been dry for as long as eight months.
Many community members have resorted to collecting water from untested rivers and springs, raising concerns about public health and safety.
In a letter signed by Cllr Phakathi (ABC) and Cllr Kheswa (ANC), local leadership expressed their frustration with the situation, highlighting the lack of communication and action from Umzinyathi District Municipality.
The letter states that water tankers are inadequate, with deliveries not occurring as frequently as needed to alleviate the crisis.
“There is never an explanation from Umzinyathi District Municipality.
“The crisis is exacerbated by the ineffective intervention of using water tankers, which do not come as often as required,” the councillors wrote.
The prolonged water shortage has caused rising tensions within the community, with protests already beginning to brew due to residents’ frustration.
The councillors hope to avoid a larger-scale outburst, but they have clarified that immediate action is necessary to prevent more unrest.
The councillors have urged the MEC to deploy a team of experts to assess the situation, determine the root causes of the water shortage, and make recommendations for long-term solutions.
Glencoe and Wasbank have been especially hard hit.
The Glencoe reservoir fills and empties quickly as water is diverted to Wasbank and the upper parts of Sithembile (known as Marikana) before water is released into Glencoe town.
The supply of water to the dairy, that is needed on a 24-hour basis to keep the operation going, has put further pressure on what residents say is hopelessly underfunded and inadequate.
CoGTA responds
Responding to queries, Thandeka Khuzwayo of CoGTA’s Municipal Infrastructure Department in Pietermaritzburg said they acknowledge receipt of the complaints regarding the prevailing water outages in various areas within the Endumeni district.
“CoGTA will investigate the matter through the district and will respond.
“We request the Water Services Authority (Umzinyathi District Municipality) to note, investigate and urgently deploy interim interventions to mitigate the current situation as we attend to it.”
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