eThekwini ratepayers unite to Demand urgent action from Municipality

The eThekwini Municipality has been given 14 days to respond to ratepayers demands or face a rates boycott. 

The eThekwini Ratepayers Protest Movement (ERPM) handed over a memorandum with their demands to eThekwini Municipality represented  by Chairperson of the Governance and Human Capital Committee, Councillor Nkosenhle Madlala, at Curries Fountain on Saturday. 

 Asad Gaffar, chairperson of ERPM stated that due to the growing trust deficit between the ratepayers and the city, it has become necessary to table the demands to course-correct and ensure that the city functions optimally.

Input was gained from all ratepayer associations in eThekwini. 

Their demands were: 

• Redress of historical imbalances and equitable access to water;
• Repair infrastructure in a comprehensive and transparent manner. This must include clear timelines, budget allocations, and performance metrics with ratepayer oversight mechanisms in place;
• Rectification of residents paying for air due to repeat extended water outages and pressure regulating practices in the line. 
• Prioritise the provision of piped water to all communities, including informal settlements. Tankering is expensive
• Enhanced reservoir security and 24/7 monitoring;
• Transparent disclosure of the infrastructure surcharge. Total amount collected and how it was utilised. 
• Water and sanitation budgets must be ring-fenced to ensure that DWS functions are optimised and supported;
• Installation of water meters in all consuming areas, including indigent communities, to measure water consumption accurately. 
• That plumbing services should be in-house rather than contracted. The city should embark on a program to train and upskill the youth in this trade, thereby creating jobs.
• The need for skilled personnel within the department. If needs be, these professionals must be brought in either from national or international spaces and;
• Oversight of contracts, mechanisms, completion and sign off and budgets so that ratepayers can ensure greater accountability, transparency, and value for money in the metro’s operations.

Voicing their concerns at the meeting, ratepayers said enough was enough and enough time was given to the municipality to improve service delivery. All the ratepayers associations stated they were volunteer organisations and received no payment. 

Madlala said that municipal management will look into the list of demands. 

Busi Ntshinglia, of Musgrave Ratepayers Association, said ratepayers should be in charge of the council. 

“They will no longer frustrate us into submission. Nobody is happy whether you are in the village or informal settlements. Ratepayers have done the work, we need the city in our hands,” she said. 

Carl Lortan, of Sydenham Ratepayers Association, called for the municipality to educate its staff. Lortan said with repeated pipe leaks in every road contractors were making money off ratepayers. 

“The contractors make more money than actual workers at eThekwini. They are becoming multimillionaires. How do you expect people in a block of flats to carry water in buckets up eight floors? City management must not sit in their ivory towers but rather come on the ground and see what is going on in communities,” he said. 

Abdul Valodia, of Overport Ratepayers Association, said ward 31 contributed over R1.1 billion in rates per annum and were not receiving the level of service they deserved. 

“We pleaded for services with the management. They have taken us for a ride. They have shown us no respect,” he said. 

Selvan Moodley, a representative of the Chatsworth Concerned Citizens Street Committees 4092, proposed that the municipality be placed under administration. 

“It seems money for the Northdene pump station disappeared. In Chatsworth there is more water flowing on the road than through the pipes and into our taps. The mayor has become the captain of a sinking ship," he said.  

Norman Gilbert of the Bluff Ratepayers and Residents Association claimed that the city depletes its budget in five months instead of the projected 12 months. 

Dhanashwar Basdew, of the Verulam Civic Association, demanded solutions to the problems. He claimed that the water infrastructure system was outdated. 

Alice Govender, of Phoenix Civic and Ratepayers Association, said the municipal fault reporting line, and the financial department were “leaking”. She said the municipal appeasement policy does not work anymore. 

“We have a leaking system. We are in a swamp. The civics and ratepayers must drain the swamp. The divide and conquer strategy no longer works. We stand united as ratepayers and civics. Today is evidence of that,’ she said. 

Raakhee Bridgemohan, of Shallcross Civic and Ratepayers Association (Scara), said communities suffering under this crisis have been abandoned by the very institution they trust to protect our most basic needs. 

“This is not just a water shortage, this is a systemic failure that has been ignored, neglected, and now forced upon the people!," she said. 

Ntuli Mthiyane, member of Verulam civic association said that the crises had no race or colour discrimination because everyone was affected. He said the situation was dire especially for those with chronic illnesses. 

Merebank Alliance Forum chairperson Pastor Victor Kuppusamy said they have a right to question where the money is going and whether it’s being used effectively to improve essential services like water.

zainul.dawood@inl.co.za