Pressure is mounting on Ugu District Municipality to fix, or at least play a part in fixing, the current water crisis, on at least three fronts. Residents of Ward 13 in Umzumbe and Wards 4 and 14 in Oshabeni barricaded the road in protest this week over their living conditions. They vented the frustration and anger shared by thousands in the Ugu area. Then, a letter of demand was handed to Sibusiso Sithole by the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast Ratepayers’ and Residents’ Association. And the Democratic Alliance is also considering legal action. Mr Sithole is the current acting municipal manager, having been sent in when DD Naidoo was on sick leave and then subsequently suspended.

Details on the progress of this case have been requested and are still awaited.

The KZN SCRRA is working with ratepayer associations, as well as the Port Shepstone Business Forum, Margate Business Association, South Coast Bed and Breakfast Association and the South Coast Water Action Group. The association’s chairman, Professor Olliver Ransome, said representatives of these associations had met and it was agreed that the level of service delivery was not only seriously unsatisfactory, but also was destroying the competitive advantage the area holds, particularly for tourism, and by extension the economic survival of the area. “We have given the municipality 30 days to present its plan to their representatives on how it intends meeting the demands, failing which, we will reserve our rights to take further action, including litigation,” he said. The demands are as follows: 1. That all residents and businesses within the municipality receive a constant supply of potable water, 100 percent of the time; 2. That all sewerage plants are brought to full capacity and properly maintained; 3. That maintenance schedules are prepared and effectively managed for all plants; 4. That we are kept informed concerning the number of teams we have on the ground for repairs and maintenance and the number of people in each team; 5. That we have access to planning reports on a weekly bases (Problems reported by residents and when it was addressed); 6. That the chaotic billing system is rectified; 7. That the results of the Cogta report on its investigation into Ugu be made public Prof Ransome said that, having attended numerous meetings with municipal officials for many years, he was incredibly disappointed and disillusioned. “As you may know our mantra has been cooperation, not confrontation and assertion not aggression,” he said. In the spirit of ‘thuma mina’, the KZN SCRRA put together a team of retired professional engineers who were prepared to offer their time and expertise pro bono to help the municipality in whatever way was needed. This initiative never got off the ground because action meetings were never scheduled by the senior staff members. Meanwhile, the Democratic Alliance has written to provincial Cogta MEC Sipho Hlomuka, and premier, Sihle Zikalala, with a warning and a final demand for ‘real intervention’ in the ongoing crisis. Failing this, the DA said it will be forced to take a more aggressive approach in resolving this untenable situation and reserve its rights for legal action in the event that the premier and his Cogta MEC again fail to place the interests of Ugu’s people first. The measures include; 1. Placing the district under administration in terms of Section 139 of the Constitution. It may in fact be too late for this now; 2. Instructing uMgeni Water to take over bulk water services in the entire district; 3. Forcing local municipalities to comply with the 8 percent maintenance budget requirement, in line with Section 154 and 155 of the Constitution; 4. Conducting investigations into the cause of the collapse of the municipality and holding those responsible accountable and; 5. Utilising national and provincial grant funding to alleviate years of financial mismanagement and lack of investment. Chris Pappas, DA KZN spokesman on Cogta, said the move comes after years of inaction by the provincial government when it comes to assisting this community which is being denied its basic human right to water. HAVE YOUR SAY Like the South Coast Herald’s Facebook page, follow us on Twitter and Instagram