R20 billion uMkhomazi scheme project to provide 40% water to eThekwini

The Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure, Dean Macpherson said of all the water that will be produced by uMgeni-uThukela Water’s Lower uMkhomazi Bulk Water Supply Scheme, 40% would supply eThekwini.

Macpherson said the project would provide much-needed relief to eThekwini water challenges as it was set to supply approximately 50 000 households on the South Coast, eThekwini and Ugu District Municipalities.

The project started in June 2022 and has been plagued with delays but the department is optimistic that it will be completed in April 2026.

The project’s details were revealed by Macpherson, who conducted an oversight visit to uMgeni-uThukela Water’s Lower uMkhomazi Bulk Water Supply Scheme in uMkhomazi on Tuesday.

He said it was unacceptable that some parts of eThekwini could go for weeks without water, adding that as the department of infrastructure they would monitor the completion of uMngeni-uThukela Project.

“The situation that exists in eThekwini at the moment is untenable; the residents cannot be left without water, not even just for days but weeks and months. I appreciate the previous Minister of Water and Sanitation for this project. Now our job is to work hard and speed it up, but also the eThekwini Municipality has to work harder to get water to people’s taps because water issues may be the next source of unrest in eThekwini.

“I have made it very clear to other political leaders that unless you sort out the problem of water in eThekwini, the city is not going to be able to thrive. So as the Department of Infrastructure, we will play our part, but at the end of the day uMgeni Uthukela and eThekwini are responsible for water and they must provide the water to the residents as quickly as possible,” he said.

Macpherson added that the days of construction mafias delaying and hampering projects in KZN were over.

“As the seventh administration, we are absolutely committed to dealing with construction mafias once and for all. The president also said this in his Opening of Parliament address. We have committed to dealing with mafias as the department. The Minister of Police also committed to this. I think there is a fundamental unity in our administration to deal with these guys once and for all.

“Yesterday, I congratulated the City of Cape Town for being able to work with the private sector to deal with construction mafias and stoppages on sites, which has made more money available for the City to track these guys down. We have got to have an intelligence-driven operation to deal with these guys and put them in jail because what they are doing is criminal activity,” added Macpherson.

Mameetse Masemola, acting head of Infrastructure South Africa (ISA), said they are working hard to complete the project on time.

“As ISA, it is our duty to closely monitor this project. We have had delays with some projects before but we are very confident that this one will be completed in time so that the people of eThekwini can be provided with water,” she said.