Residents and ratepayers across the Umzinyathi District Municipality are drumming up support for a formal petition raising serious concerns about ongoing service delivery failures, billing problems and water supply interruptions.

The district municipality is already under scrutiny following President Cyril Ramaphosa’s proclamation authorising the Special Investigating Unit to probe alleged long-standing tender irregularities.

The petition, which is garnering support from residents, property owners and businesses, outlines what they describe as persistent maladministration and a lack of transparency in the municipality’s handling of accounts and essential services.

Willie Steenberg of the Endumeni Residents Association said the ERA fully supports the petition.

Billing and water issues highlighted

According to the petition, many residents have not received monthly municipal statements, leaving them unable to verify charges or manage their accounts timeously. Inaccurate meter readings, excessive and inconsistent billing, and unresolved account disputes are also listed among the concerns.

Glencoe resident Aneen Jones, who launched the petition,n said repeated attempts by residents to engage with the municipality had yielded little success.

“Ratepayers are left frustrated and powerless. We cannot check our accounts because statements are not issued, and when we do make contact, calls and emails often go unanswered,” Jones said.

She added that residents had also raised concerns about unlawful disconnections and the removal of water meters without prior notice.

“Services have been disconnected without warning, which goes against fair administrative procedures and places families and businesses under unnecessary strain,” Jones said.

Water supply interruptions feature prominently in the petition, with residents citing frequent water shedding, prolonged outages and declining water quality. These issues are attributed to what residents describe as the municipality’s failure to maintain and upgrade ageing water infrastructure.

“The ongoing water problems disrupt daily life and business operations. It feels as though the infrastructure is simply being neglected,” Jones said.

Call for urgent action

In the petition, residents have called on the Umzinyathi District Municipality to urgently address the issues raised, provide regular and accurate billing, improve communication with ratepayers and implement a transparent dispute resolution process.

They have also urged the municipality to prioritise the maintenance and upgrading of critical water infrastructure to prevent further service disruptions.

Residents say the ongoing challenges have eroded public confidence in the municipality’s ability to provide basic services and are hopeful the petition will prompt decisive action.

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