There seems to be no end to the protracted water supply problems experienced by the long-suffering Harding community.
The latest interruption has been blamed on a group of workers who were reportedly holding Ugu District Municipality hostage.
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It has been claimed that the protesting workers, all belonging to the South African Municipal Workers Union (Samwu) had refused to allow tankers to deliver water to the community, some of whom have had no supply since the strike began around two weeks ago.
The basis for the downing of tools was believed to be the union’s demand for the suspension of nine shop stewards to be lifted.
According to a statement released by the municipality, the shop stewards were suspended for disrupting an internal disciplinary hearing on December 11, 2019.
Ugu has taken a firm stance, dismissing 46 workers on Tuesday this week for failing to report to work and for threatening the supply of water services.
According to Ugu manager DD Naidoo, despite numerous attempts to get the workers to refrain from embarking on the illegal strike, they failed to comply, with complete disregard for the welfare of the Harding community.
However Samwu chairman, Mthandeni Ngcobo, who is himself facing suspension, said the dismissal of the workers was not carried out in line with labour laws.
“You can’t just wake up and decide to fire workers, it doesn’t work like that. No company is allowed to do that without following the proper procedure.”
According to Mr Ngcobo, Ugu would have to fire all Samwu workers before they would “stop fighting for what they believe is right”.
Mr Ngcobo added they were calling for water services senior manager Paul Watson and manager DD Naidoo to step down, accusing them of “running the municipality into the gutter”.
Mr Naidoo responded by saying he would not resign until the forensic investigation conducted by Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs MEC Sipho Hlomuka was completed.
“No one can tell me to resign except for council, which appointed me. I will only resign once my name is cleared in that forensic report. And if it’s not, I will face the consequences.”
Meanwhile, the Harding community is in despair.
Chairman of the Harding Ratepayers’ Association, John Mantshinga described the situation as “dire”.
“Since 2018 we have had endless water problems. We have also had numerous promises from Ugu to build a back up dam and get Umgeni to take over a certain portion of the water supply.
“This was meant to ensure that by now, we would have water on a daily basis and not on the three-day plan we were subjected to prior to the strike.”
The three-day plan (which turned into a two-day plan) saw water rationed to Wednesdays and Saturdays, for 12 hours at a time.
“Lately there have been no tankers to supply water – how are we supposed to sustain our town? ” he asked.
Mr Mantshinga said they had tried on numerous occasions to get Ugu to look at installing boreholes in the interim which, he said, would cost much less than the deployment of water tankers which had to travel long distances to fill up and then deliver water.
According to Mr Mantshinga, when this proposal was presented to Ugu, the municipality cited financial reasons for not adopting the plan.
Ugu said that sites in ward 3 had been identified as possible borehole sites and said the hydrologist from the Provincial Department of Environmental Affairs was available to confirm if drilling was viable.
The municipality added that a business plan had been submitted to relevant government funders.
Timber farmer, Mark Gallagher said that although he had water on his farm, his workers were not as lucky and were suffering greatly.
“What frustrates me the most is that if a fire breaks out at my farm I would not be able to extinguish it, and our municipal fire department would also not be able to help.”
Another farmer, Bertie Strydom said it was heartbreaking to see the elderly struggling under the burden of carrying heavy buckets of water several times during the day, and sometimes into the night.
“Ugu needs to stop making promises and sort the problem out.”
The municipality has outlined a medium-term plan – an emergency transfer of raw water from the Weza River to the Harding Dam, to be undertaken by Umgeni Water.
According to Ugu, the detailed designs and tender processes had been carried out.
The tender was now at the bid committees stage for appointment, it said.
It is anticipated that the project will commence at the end of next month (February).
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