PP office still weighing Verulam water complaint
The Public Protector's office says it will make a decision soon about whether or not to launch an investigation into the Verulam water crisis.
It told Newswatch it's still assessing the allegations contained in the complaint filed by the Verulam Water Crisis Committee.
The committee is accusing the eThekwini mayor of bias, neglect, and violation of human rights in dealing with their water supply problems.
Several communities in areas north of Durban have held protests to demand uninterrupted access to water over the past several weeks.
Last week on Human Rights Day, some marched to Durban City Hall to hand over a memorandum to City officials, calling for action.
Roshan Lil-Ruthan, the Verulam committee's spokesperson, says they met with from the Public Protector's Office, including the provincial head on .
"After that meeting, and the two responses received, the Public Protector officially confirmed with me the terms of their investigation.
"They will be meeting with the minister of water and sanitation and thereafter probably summon the mayor, city manager and the head of [eThekwini] water and sanitation, as well as the Human Rights Commission. They believe the Human Rights Commission should have actually intervened and resolved this problem."
In a briefing on Thursday, Mayor Mxolisi Kaunda said teams were back on the field attending to infrastructure repairs that were delayed by the workers' strike.
He says to date,70 valves have been installed in the Northern Aqueduct as part of the air valve replacement programme.
Kaunda says they remain committed to improving water supply to affected communities in northern Durban that are serviced by the 32km-long pipeline.
