KEY POINTS
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The 13.5 percent hike worsens the long-running water supply crisis.
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Communities say they deserve reliable water, not higher bills.
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The tariff increase sparks protest over years of poor service.
Water shortages have plagued KwaDukuza inhabitants for nearly 10 years, upsetting daily routines and endangering their health, cleanliness, and self-respect.
Water outages and poor service spark protest over 13.5 percent hike
Residents, companies, and civil society organizations are now protesting the iLembe District Municipality’s (IDM) proposed 13.5% tariff rise, which is scheduled to take effect on July 1.
They claim that because of dry taps, they are forced to use boreholes, expensive bottled water, or tankers. In a nonviolent demonstration last Wednesday, locals and Democratic Alliance (DA) officials presented IDM with a memorandum calling for sustainable water solutions and opposing the tariff increase.
The head of the DA iLembe constituency, Sakhile Mngadi, claimed that many communities experience days or weeks without water, citing this as a violation of human rights. He attributed it to a lack of planning, inadequate supervision, and antiquated infrastructure. If IDM doesn’t reply within 14 days, Mngadi threatened to take more drastic measures.
Citing inadequate maintenance and budget management, DA district caucus head Krsna Sing deemed the scenario intolerable. He pointed out that rural populations suffer from idle systems and inadequate tanker assistance, while even urban places with infrastructure have interruptions. He called the tariff raise “a slap in the face” and called for a new billing mechanism and a zero percent increase.
Dev Nundall, a resident of Highridge, criticized tanker allocation and stated that water interruptions happen two to three times each week. He demanded an audit and asked officials to step down if they were unable to fulfill their basic responsibilities.
Outages, according to a Rocky Park resident, interfere with cooking and cleanliness, particularly for families with young children. The planned hike was deemed “laughable and upsetting” by her.
To cope, Dino Moodley, a resident of Stanger Manor, constructed a borehole. He attacked the price idea, claiming IDM ignores community-driven alternatives like restarting the Umvoti waterworks.
Business leaders join outcry over 13.5 percent water tariff hike
According to Iol, CEO of the iLembe Chamber of Commerce, the effective bulk water hike surpasses 20% when levies are taken into account. He emphasized that the increase in water prices is not reflected in sanitation costs, and the consumer price index increased by just 2.7%.
Residents and businesses are unjustly bearing the costs of inefficiencies and losses, he warned.
IDM had not yet addressed the residents’ complaints or the memoranda as of publication.
