Teaching stops at University of Zululand amid uMhlathuze water crisis

Unizulu suspends classes amid ongoing water problems in uMhlathuze affecting several communities, including KwaDlangezwa

10 minutes ago

Mbuso Kunene 1 minute read

City of uMhlathuze plumbers conducting repairs to the damaged water pipe PHOTO: CoU/Facebook

Teaching and learning had to be halted at the University of Zululand’s (Unizulu) KwaDlangezwa campus on Wednesday morning because of a lack of water.

This is the latest institution to be affected by the ongoing water supply crisis in the City of uMhlathuze, with clinics, schools and small businesses impacted in eSikhaleni.

ALSO READ: WATCH: Water supply delay for city residents after pipe burst

The university announced the suspension until water supply could be restored to its campuses.

In a communiqué dated 21 July, the university said the City of uMhlathuze informed management that the damaged water pipes had been repaired.

According the statement issued by university management, “The university has also procured an emergency water supply, which is currently being delivered to tanks across the campus.”

ALSO READ: WATCH: Frustration as water supply challenges persist in Richards Bay

The institution apologised for the continued disruption and thanked students for their patience and understanding during the crisis.

However, students expressed concern over the growing backlog of academic work caused by the ongoing water outages.

Commenting on the university’s Facebook page, a student said, “The municipality should fix this issue as soon as possible. There is too much work this semester, and we can’t afford these postponements.”

The uMhlathuze Municipality reported in Tuesday that it was working to restore supply to KwaDlangezwa and surrounding areas.

“Our technical team is on site investigating the cause of the water outage following a pipe burst,” the municipality stated.

“Estimated time for restoration will be communicated once confirmed.”

Read the full story in the ZO Weekender.

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