National govt to help solve eThekwini water woes
The Department of Water
and Sanitation is stepping in to help eThekwini repair some of its water plants
after ongoing supply disruptions left residents high and dry.
Minister Senzo Mchunu has assured residents that their water issues are being dealt with.
" We are now forging closer cooperation with eThekwini to talk to one another and agree as a sector and I'm happy the Department of Finance is into this.
"They will come in on the money side of things. How eThekwini is managing their money that goes to water and we get into water and then we'll be able to help them."
Mchunu's been speaking at a media briefing at the ANC's National Executive Committee meeting in Boksburg.
READ: KZN water woes 'violation of rights' - SAHRC
Areas in and around Durban have been hit by supply outages recently, with residents in areas north of the city left without the resource for over a week last month.
The minister says they've agreed to assist the municipality.
"In eThekwini, we started by saying, look, you are unable run wastewater treatment, hence the complaint. They have now agreed, Umgeni Water will take over the turn of the wastewater treatment plants.
"Those represent 90 % of sewer processing and that is a way of intervening but the southbound pipe which is an aqueduct, it belongs to the municipality, they don't have money to do that."
