Water and sanitation Minister Senzo Mchunu has called on eThekwini Municipality to live up to its responsibilities and deliver water to the community.
Mchunu made the directive in a statement following a meeting with the community members on Sunday.
Communities in areas of Phoenix and Verulam among others have experienced severe water shortages, which have led to protests and incidents of violence.
“eThekwini is a Water Services Authority and is responsible to ensure that water reaches the citizens,” said Mchunu.
“We apologise for the occurrences, and as the national Department of Water and Sanitation, we cannot absolve ourselves, as doing so would be a dereliction of duty. Instead, we are engaging and working together with officials from the city,” he said.
The department outlined plans and projects in place to resolve the water challenges in eThekwini.
Mchunu provided details of a long-term project to address the water issue. One of the projects will see an increase in water supply in the Umngeni Water Supply System, which supplies eThekwini, uMgungundlovu, iLembe, Ugu, Harry Gwala District Municipalities and Msunduzi Local Municipality.
In addressing the residents, Mchunu assured the residents that the challenges would be attended to. “The deadline is 15 February for us to overcome all these current problems. The Head of Water in the City, Mr Ednick Msweli and the Acting Chief Operating Officer of uMngeni-uThukela Water, will be on the ground, hard at work.
“Our Director-General, Dr Sean Phillips, will convene meetings every two weeks to monitor progress and I am inviting the Verulam Water Crisis Committee to form part of these meetings. The given date for all these challenges to be resolved is February 15; no efforts will be spared in resolving these water supply challenges. Work will be carried out day and night if we have to in order to meet this deadline and provide people with water,” the minister said.
The Mercury