Chatsworth residents protest ongoing water shortages
Image: Supplied
RESIDENTS of Moorton, Crossmoor, and Shallcross are facing ongoing water shortages, leading to protests and demands for accountability from local authorities.
Community activists, Zain and Naseema Suleman, of Moorton, said they were frustrated with the on-going water crisis.
Naseema said that the Northdene Reservoir, which was serviced by the Umngeni Water (Durban Heights), had endless issues with the water shutting off without warning despite a water shedding schedule being released in February.
'We are fed up with these unscheduled opening and closing of valves at the reservoir. The eThekwini Water and Sanitation (EWS) communicated the water rationing schedule in February, which was adhered to for only the first week.
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'However, we continue to be rationed at random times every day. Sometimes, we have no water for days on end and we do not know when it will return. It is hard waking up in the morning and having no water. My children find it tough to go to school. Even at school they have no water,' said Naseema.
She said they had protested regularly because they want to answers and to see the progress on the water issues.
Zain, who has been at the front line for the Chatsworth water crisis which started in October 2024, said the initial reasons provided for the water crisis was due to infrastructure damage during the April 2022 floods.
'Numerous reasons and excuses have been provided over a period. Pump failure with no back up pump or generators. Vandalism happens at a national key point with 24-hour security and no accountability. Budget constraints to repair or replace damaged infrastructure yet our trusted government collected funds from international funders, local businesses, residents paid water loss levies and infrastructure surcharges, yet the excuse continued of budget constraints and in the last financial year eThekwini councillors returned astronomical funds back to treasury,' he said.
Zain said in February 2025 a protest was held outside EWS offices in Prior Road and the frustrated residents secured a meeting with officials.
'At this meeting we were told that there is a water shortage in eThekwini, yet some areas were more privileged than Chatsworth, Phoenix, Tongaat and Verulam who are the most hard hit. We were also told that Pemi Majodina, the minister of Water requested a reduced quota of water due to non-revenue water. Major water losses due to continuous burst pipes stemming from inferior quality workmanship, no metering at informal sector water standpipes. Reported burst mainlines with reference numbers on the eThekwini App were closed without water pipes being repaired.
'Raw water certification had a quota, and water was overdrawn for water treatment plants. No explanation why no renewal of water draw certification based on increased population. Considering no census was done in years, on what basis is water distribution taking place? Fifty six percent of non-revenue water loss through burst pipes, residents of hard-hit water shedding communities are being held at ransom over failure of government and its respective departments,' said Zain.
As of Tuesday, there was still no water in Moorton.
'We are without water and this is due to conflicting information being provided, firstly a test was apparently carried out last night (July 14) to evaluate water loss without the knowledge of the area manager of reservoir 4 since he wanted to know how many roads were without water which means he wasn't aware that the reservoir 4 ran empty overnight due to the 'test'.
'This should have been monitored and water levels should have been captured by the WDO at intervals, yet we did not receive any notification of the time when the water would stop. The other reason was that there is a major water outage affecting Durban heights. This message from Councillor AE Peterson, of Ward 11.
'There's incompetence noted, sabotage, and corruption in this water crisis. The pipeline tender is a wasted project. If the water volumes are not increased then of what benefit is the pipeline running through Chatsworth? We are being taken for fools,' said Zain.
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Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!' * Dr Vusi Shongwe works in the Department of Sport, Arts, and Culture in KwaZulu-Natal and writes in his personal capacity. ** The views expressed here do not reflect those of the Sunday Independent, IOL, or Independent Media. Get the real story on the go: Follow the Sunday Independent on WhatsApp.
