Durban — The eThekwini Municipality has been commended by the KwaZulu-Natal legislature’s portfolio committee on co-operative governance and traditional affairs (Cogta) for addressing infrastructural challenges following the April floods.
This was revealed by mayor Mxolisi Kaunda’s spokesperson Mluleki Mntungwa who said that the portfolio committee commended the municipality’s strides in expediting quality service delivery in the City following the April floods last year.
More than 400 people were killed, many were left homeless and others' homes were damaged.
The province also recorded several infrastructural challenges impacting service delivery such as the provision of water and electricity.
Mntungwa said that while the committee was sitting in Mayville in Durban on Friday, March 17, 2023, it received a progress report on the implementation of the municipality’s plan to repair roads, electricity, and water and sanitation infrastructure.
He said the municipality also reported on the turnaround plan to clean the City.
“While there is still more work to be done, the committee was satisfied with the visible progress on the ground as water and electricity provision in the City has improved significantly after the April floods,” Mntungwa said.
He also said that among the concerns raised by the committee was non-revenue water which is primarily caused by ageing infrastructure, vandalism, and illegal connections.
“To address this challenge, the City has implemented an infrastructure levy that has been ring-fenced solely for the maintenance of infrastructure,” Mntungwa said.
“Funding has also been allocated to upgrade sewer networks and wastewater treatment plants to reduce the frequency of failures and prevent pollution of the environment.”
Mntungwa went on to say that KZN Cogta also presented an assessment report which indicated that the municipality continues to be financially viable with a collection rate of 92% and that the audit outcome from the Auditor-General has significantly improved as the City has reduced the number of audit findings.
He said that the report also praised the municipality for improving waste management.
Mntungwa added that Kaunda described the report as a true reflection of what is happening in the municipality.
Kaunda also assured the committee that turnaround plans with clear timelines are being implemented to clear the backlog of repairs to infrastructure.
In a few weeks, the province will mark a year since the April floods battered parts of the province.
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