Durban — Three employees of uMhlathuze Municipality are currently facing disciplinary action following investigations that were conducted by the municipality on water pipe leaks.
The employees were found to have been the ones destroying the pipes.
Umhlathuze Municipality spokesperson Bongani Gina confirmed the incident, adding that there had not been any problems of leakage of the pipes since the employees were suspended.
“The mayor had been speaking against hiring water tankers and saying that the municipality needs to get its own. We have procured nine water tankers.”
Gina said the affected water pipes supplied eSikhaleni and other areas. Meanwhile, on Saturday night the water treatment plant in the Esikhaleni area was burnt and the water supply will be interrupted. Gina said investigations were ongoing as to what caused the fire.
“The eSikhaleni water treatment plant is off due to a fire incident that took place last night. Water supply to eSikhaleni cluster (eSikhaleni Township, Vulindlela, Felixton, Madlankala, Gobandlovu, Mkhwanazi North and South) will be interrupted. The municipality will be working hard to restore water supply as soon as possible,” said Gina.
He added that the generators were not affected; however, the generator control panel was damaged.
“The 2.5 MVA transformer was completely burnt; a control panel for HLPs and Raw Water was completely burnt. All interconnecting cables for generators, transformers and MCC were burnt.”
He said the control panel for dewatering pumps was burnt and water restrictions would affect 13 wards. Contractors had been instructed to provide a petrol pump to prevent basement flooding.
Early this month, uMhlathuze mayor Xolani Ngwezi claimed that the municipality had been captured.
Ngwezi said corrupt municipal workers sabotaged the water infrastructure deliberately to create money-making opportunities for business people.
He said these workers would deliberately switch off water valves so that the municipality was forced to hire water tankers from certain business people.
Daily News