The Democratic Alliance in KwaZulu-Natal has given the ANC-run Ilembe District Municipality 14 days to reverse its decision to increase water tariffs by 13.5%.
This is contained in a list of demands in a memorandum the party submitted to the municipality representative during a march to district offices in KwaDukuza north of the province on Wednesday. The party is calling for a zero-rate increase until the water supply has improved or after the municipality has responded positively to its demands.
The party said its march was prompted by consistent water outages and water-shedding in the areas under the district. The march was led by the top party leadership including party provincial leader Francois Rogers, his deputy Sithembiso Ngema, and Ilembe district constituency head Sakhile Mngadi who had organised the march.
Another demand was the renewal and expansion of Siza Water, a private water services provider which was contracted by the municipality.
Delivering the memorandum, Mngadi warned the municipality that should it fail to comply with these demands, the party would pursue legal and civil action.
“The Democratic Alliance (DA) stands in full solidarity with the residents of Ilembe who took to the streets today in a peaceful protest, demanding a dignified, sustainable solution to the water crisis that has crippled our communities for far too long. Many areas in Ilembe have suffered persistent water outages, often going days or even weeks without reliable access to clean water. This is a violation of the most basic human right and a failure of governance at multiple levels,” the party statement read.
It further stated that the crisis is exacerbated by outdated, poorly maintained infrastructure and a lack of proper oversight in water delivery, arguing that residents are expected to pay for a service that is either irregular or entirely absent.
The party said water challenges are continuing despite numerous complaints and calls for intervention
“The memorandum submitted today by residents and civil society gives the municipality 14 days to respond with concrete solutions. Failure to do so will result in escalated action, as communities will no longer tolerate being ignored. The Democratic Alliance will be monitoring this deadline closely and will not hesitate to take the matter further if there is no meaningful response,” concludes the party.
The district mayor Thoban Shandu said he was in a meeting and was unable to respond. He promised to respond later.
willem.phungula@inl.co.za
