A HIGH-STAKES legal battle has erupted between China State Construction Engineering Corporation South Africa (CSC) and the State-owned utility uMngeni-uThukela Water (UUW) over a controversial R7b tender tied to the Lower uMkhomazi Bulk Water Scheme project.

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The project, valued at R20b in total, will supply bulk water to the eThekwini metro and is expected to be completed by the end of 2027.

The dispute surfaced in February and is now playing out in the Pietermaritzburg High Court. CSC is challenging UUW’s decision to award the second phase of the waterworks project to a rival bidder, despite CSC’s joint venture with fellow Chinese-owned company Base Major submitting a bid R1.8b lower.

CSC, a major player in infrastructure projects, including upgrades to the N3 highway between Durban and Pietermaritzburg, alleges that UUW unfairly disqualified its bid. The utility reportedly cited concerns about technical experience and the translation of documents from Chinese, among other reasons.

In response, CSC filed an urgent application in February seeking to interdict UUW from proceeding with the tender award. The matter continued in March, resulting in a consent order that temporarily halted the tender process until a full court review could be conducted. As part of the agreement, UUW was required to submit a detailed record of the tender decision and adhere to a timeline for filing affidavits. However, UUW has since returned to court, requesting that the March order be set aside.

UUW is the largest supplier of bulk potable water in KZN. The utility reports directly to the provincial Department of Water and Sanitation.

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