KZN CoGTA to assess Newcastle’s current water crisis
CoGTA urges provincial support as water crisis continues.
As Newcastle enters its second week of water supply interruptions, KwaZulu-Natal Legislature MPL and CoGTA Portfolio Committee chairperson Marlaine Nair says the situation now requires urgent intervention and support from the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Co-operative Governance & Traditional Affairs.
“Some residents have endured approximately 10 days without a stable reticulated water supply, placing significant strain on households, businesses, schools, healthcare facilities and other institutions,” she said.
According to Nair, Newcastle Municipality has provided an update confirming that the affected pump station is operational but is below full capacity.
“Of the three pumps serving the system, two are operational while the third remains under repair. The municipality has further advised that the affected reservoir has a capacity of approximately 10 million litres and needs to reach at least 70% capacity before water can be distributed more effectively across the network,” she explained.
She claimed that the update provided greater clarity on the current operational situation.
However, she said several important questions remain unanswered.
Questions remain over prolonged water disruption
She emphasised that residents need to know exactly what caused the prolonged failure, what damage or fault affected the third pump, why the repair remained outstanding, and what was delaying its return to service.
“There must also be clarity on whether vandalism or deliberate damage contributed to the failure, whether critical water infrastructure is adequately secured, whether replacement parts or specialist technical expertise are difficult to obtain, and whether the municipality has sufficient engineering and technical capacity to resolve the problem,” she explained.
The deployment of additional contractors, technicians, engineers and water tankers, according to her, also carried an additional financial cost.
It is therefore important that there is transparency regarding the extent of the repairs required, the resources being deployed, and the expected cost of restoring the system to full capacity.
“Most importantly, residents still need a clear and credible timeframe for when normal reticulated water supply will be fully restored.”
She further noted that water tankers remain necessary as an emergency measure and must continue for as long as communities require them.
“They cannot, however, become a substitute for the restoration of a functioning and reliable municipal water system,” she said.
Nair calls for provincial intervention
A key question now, according to Nair, is whether Newcastle Municipality has the sufficient technical, operational and financial capacity to resolve the situation on its own, or whether additional provincial support is required.
“I am therefore requesting that KZN CoGTA MEC Rev Thulasizwe Buthelezi urgently engage with Newcastle Municipality; assess the full extent of the disruption; and determine whether additional provincial technical, financial or institutional support is required,” she said.
She further noted that communities should be provided with an accurate and detailed report setting out the cause of the failure, the outstanding repairs, any obstacles delaying completion, the resources required, and a realistic timeframe for full restoration.
“After approximately 10 days of disruption, residents are entitled to clear, accurate and regular information. The immediate priority must be to ensure that every reasonable technical and government resource is directed towards restoring a stable and reliable water supply as urgently as possible,” she concluded.
The news provided to you in this link has been investigated and compiled by the editorial staff of the Newcastle Advertiser, a sold newspaper distributed in the Newcastle area. Please follow us on Youtube and feel free to like, comment, and subscribe. For more local news, visit our webpage, follow us on Facebook and Twitter, and follow us on our WhatsApp Channel.
