Community protest prompts promises of improved service delivery

When dozens of residents took to the streets on June 10, to protest against poor service delivery from uThukela, it drew the attention of the water service provider.

Opposing the frequent and prolonged water interruptions affecting thousands of residents in and around Estcourt, the Estcourt Water Works Committee (EWWC) was formed. Headed by locals, a community march was planned and a memorandum of demands was handed over to Aaron Mthi from uThukela, who promised a response within seven days.

The EWWC was pleased to announce that a positive response was received from the district municipality, signed by Municipal Manager Mr MB Mnguni.

A copy of the response was circulated and here is a summary of the main points…

As far as social challenges are concerned, uThukela agreed that communication needs to be addressed, and committed to organising meetings to deliberate on all modes of communication that will ensure proper networking 24 hours a day, with a reasonable turnaround time to attend to reported queries.

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A ‘crack team’ will be appointed, that will be dedicated to all paying customers living in the CBD and surrounding areas in the event of unexpected sewer blockages.

The team will be equipped with all the necessary tools of the trade to ensure a swift response at all times. Staff credentials will be communicated to all members of the EWWC, as well as vehicle registration numbers.

Establishment of a schedule for water supply and maintenance that will ensure sustained access to clean and safe water.

Funding for upgrades and infrastructure repairs will be addressed.

uThukela listed the following as technical challenges…

The plant and network are old and there is a need to refurbish and upgrade. The raw water lines need refurbishment and upgrading, as they clog easily during the rainy season, causing water interruptions.

The Estcourt Hospital pumping main is an old asbestos pipeline that bursts too often. Mushrooming of new houses in Rensburg has contributed negatively to the performance of water provision. Illegal connections also contribute to water interruptions.

Deliberate vandalism and sabotage of water infrastructure is a major concern.

Municipal water tankers are very old. Hired tankers are costly to the municipality, which is running on an unfunded budget.

A service provider to address water supply through the Archie Rodell Water Treatment Plant has been appointed and is on site.

The unblocking of raw water lines is being carried out and uThukela has intensified its relationship with social partners for short-term interventions (boreholes are being drilled and water tankers are helping communities).

For a permanent solution, a consultant has been appointed to develop a business plan for the refurbishment and upgrade of the Archie Rodell scheme.

This refurbishment is planned for implementation by July. The business plan is complete and has been submitted to the Water Affairs Department for approval and allocation of funding.

In response, the EWWC issued the following statement: “The EWWC was impressed that uThukela appointed a senior manager in Mr Mthi to accept its memorandum of demands. In engagements with Mr Mthi at the march, he undertook to open up communication channels with the community through EWWC and as a result, a WhatsApp group was set up with three members of uThukela’s management team and four representatives of the EWWC. There has already been meaningful engagement with uThukela through this channel and the EWWC is further pleased that Mr Mthi is a man of his word and also gave the community a comprehensive written breakdown of both the challenges and possible solutions for the crisis by responding in depth to the list of demands submitted.”

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