The Umzinyathi District Municipality’s borehole project has come under scrutiny, with the ANC questioning its cost and effectiveness amid ongoing water supply challenges.

Critics call for focus on repairing existing systems

The initiative was announced at last year’s water summit in Dundee, where Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Velenkosini Hlabisa pledged to drill a borehole in each of the district’s 66 wards to ease chronic water shortages.

However, the ANC has criticised the project, saying it is costly and fails to address the root cause of water outages.

Inkosi Bhambatha regional spokesperson Muziwakhe Sithebe said each borehole is estimated to cost more than R800 000, which the party believes is significantly inflated.

“The Municipal Infrastructure Grant should have been used to repair existing infrastructure,” he said.

Sithebe added that the council had failed to adequately involve communities in planning processes, as required by the Constitution.

He said the ANC supports community efforts to pursue legal action after other avenues were exhausted.

“The municipality has already filed opposing papers, while the project continues without proper consultation,” he said.

Sithebe also raised concerns that provisions of the Municipal Systems Act relating to public participation had not been followed.

Sections 16 and 17 of the Act require municipalities to create opportunities for communities to engage in planning, budgeting and service delivery processes.

The municipality has not yet publicly responded to these latest claims.