THE vandalism and theft of municipal infrastructure not only disrupts water and electricity supply but also places immense strain on resources, affecting service delivery to communities.

eThekwini Municipality said this after the vandalism of pressure-reducing valves (PRVs) disrupted water supply to parts of Amanzimtoti and Ezimangweni.

Also read: Vandals hit Amanzimtoti reservoirs

According to the municipality, electricity infrastructure has also been heavily targeted, affecting the power supply needed to operate water pumping and distribution systems.

This comes after vandalism in Prospecton in March also caused a major water supply disruption, highlighting the growing impact infrastructure theft is having on essential services across the City.

Between July 2025 and April, the City Integrity and Investigation Directorate investigated 241 infrastructure theft-related cases. Of these, 108 were confirmed and referred to law enforcement agencies.

Also read: Amanzimtoti reservoirs targeted in acts of vandalism

The municipality said it is incurring substantial costs linked to repairing damaged infrastructure, carrying out emergency maintenance and increasing security measures.

Executive director for technical services, Ednick Msweli, said the ongoing destruction of municipal infrastructure was a major setback for service delivery efforts.

“This ongoing destruction of municipal infrastructure represents a major setback in our efforts to provide reliable water and electricity services. Vandalism and theft not only disrupt essential services but also result in prolonged outages and increased operational costs. Communities ultimately bear the consequences through reduced service reliability,” said Msweli.

The municipality has urged residents to assist in protecting public infrastructure and to report any suspicious activity.

Incidents of theft or vandalism can be reported to the Water and Sanitation Department’s toll-free line on 080 311 1111, via WhatsApp on 073 148 3477, or to the City Integrity and Investigations Directorate on 0800 20 20 20.

For more South Coast Sun news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. You can also check out our videos on our YouTube channel or follow us on TikTok.

Subscribe to our free weekly newsletter and get news delivered straight to your inbox.

Do you have more information pertaining to this story? Feel free to let us know by commenting on our Facebook page or you can contact our newsroom on 031 903 2341 and speak to a journalist.