A high-level government delegation, featuring Water and Sanitation Minister Senzo Mchunu, senior eThekwini Municipality, and uMngeni-uThukela Water officials, left the Verulam Water Crisis Committee with more questions than answers. Despite a meeting aimed at addressing ongoing water challenges in northern parts of the city, the community-led organization expressed frustration at the lack of clear answers regarding the root cause of their persistent water problems.
Roshan Lil-Ruthan, the spokesperson for the Verulam Water Crisis Committee, voiced his anger, stating that the government representatives provided only “excuses” without delivering concrete answers. The committee has been grappling with inconsistent water supply in Verulam for the past two years, leading to protests in northern eThekwini suburbs like Phoenix and Verulam.
Various reasons were cited by the government representatives, including vandalism, failing infrastructure, equipment failure, and alleged throttling of water supply by uMngeni-uThukela, which the committee claims was confirmed to be untrue. Lil-Ruthan emphasized that despite their requests for proof justifying the given reasons, the government has not provided any.
In response to the crisis, Minister Mchunu made a bold promise, declaring an end to all water-related problems in areas like Verulam, Phoenix, and Tongaat by February 15, 2024. Despite the government’s commitment to resolve the issue, Lil-Ruthan remains skeptical, stating that he will be monitoring the situation on the promised date to ascertain if the problem is genuinely fixed or if it is another empty promise.