UPDATE: uMkhanyakude pledges to prioritise water provision

THE formal enquiry into the water shortage in Mtubatuba was on Friday adjourned indefinitely after only four of the subpoenaed parties testified.

Satisfied that the month-old major leak in the pipeline along the N2 had been repaired, and that uMkhanyakude District Municipality (UKDM) management has begun prioritising service delivery and saving money for infrastructure repairs and maintenance, Judge Anton van Zyl brought proceedings to a close, warning the enquiry would resume if the situation does not improve.

UKDM Municipal Manager Nonhlanhla Ndlela and newly appointed Administrator Mduduzi Sithole took the hot seat at Mtubatuba High Court on Friday where Van Zyl grilled them about the municipality’s finances for repairs and maintenance, as well as its long-term solutions to avoid such critical water shortages.

Both Ndlela and Sithole acknowledged the dire state of UKDM’s finances, yet confirmed funding received from National Treasury would be spent on critical infrastructure repairs and service delivery.

‘We have cut down on normal operational costs and all monies saved will be diverted to water provision. We have also agreed that the backlog of repairs to infrastructure will be done by the end of this month,’ said Sithole.

Agreeing with Van Zyl that Mtubatuba’s water woes include both a limited supply and loss of supply through unrepaired leaks,

Sithole said the erratic supply of water has been resolved and UKDM must now ensure it remains so.

He also agreed to install standpipes at all scour valves prone to vandalism along the pipeline adjacent to the N2, which will allow community members to take water without jeopardising the entire system.