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IOL News
12 hours ago
- Business
- IOL News
eThekwini Municipality grapples with severe staff shortages in water and sanitation units
The eThekwini Municipality metro has been flagged by the AGSA for failing to fill critical vacancies Image: Willem Phungula AS the eThekwini Municipality battles to supply water to communities, it has emerged that more than half of the positions in the unit responsible for the delivery of water and sanitation to communities, are vacant. The Auditor General of South Africa, Tsakani Maluleke, said, in a recent interview with SABC News, that her office did not understand why eThekwini has such a high number of vacancies in this unit, considering its size, location, and the budget of the municipality. The municipality has close to 25 000 workers and a budget of more than R60 billion. Maluleke was commenting last week shortly after tabling the report on the audit outcomes for municipalities. The audit outcomes revealed that municipalities are still not living up to their mandate, with about 41 of the nation's 257 municipalities receiving good audits. Seven of these are in KwaZulu-Natal. She expressed concern that only one metro had achieved a clean audit, describing this as a serious indictment in light of the fact that close to half of the country's population lives in metros, which have substantial budgets. The findings on vacancies in eThekwini have triggered concerns among councillors, as the municipality is facing a serious water crisis, with many communities affected by prolonged outages resulting from water leaks, ageing infrastructure, and vandalism of this critical infrastructure. Maluleke noted that even large municipalities have not invested in the infrastructure needed to ensure efficient operations. 'What we are seeing is that far too many municipalities have not invested in the technical capabilities required to run their operations. Even in the metros, some have vacancies in key technical roles that remain unfilled for up to 80 months. For example, in Buffalo City, an engineering position was left unfilled for that long. "The eThekwini Metro is another serious concern when it comes to vacancies, with 58% of positions in the area of infrastructure for water and sanitation remaining unfilled. The question arises: why does a city as large as eThekwini struggle to attract and retain the skills required to maintain its infrastructure and develop new projects?" During visits to infrastructure projects in municipalities, she said the AG's office found many with problems, including cost overruns, delayed projects, and poor-quality work, necessitating additional spending. 'Much of this is about leadership that does not invest in the necessary technical skills and does not insist on decent governance practices to monitor how money is being spent and how assets are being managed,' she explained. ActionSA councillor Zwakele Mncwango stated that this is a serious issue. 'We have been raising this issue on water and sanitation; hence, we (city) cannot even deal with the issue of sanitation because there are no technical capabilities in the unit. It was proven when the municipality outsourced the function of looking after its (water treatment works) to uMngeni-uThukela Water. "These issues have led us to court. Why would we need to go to court to get the municipality to address the issue of sanitation? We have water losses of up to 58%. They should be hiring people to fix the infrastructure,' said Mncwango The eThekwini Municipality was contacted for comment last week, and it stated that it is still gathering the necessary information. Mdu Nkosi, chairperson of the Trading Services Committee, which oversees water and sanitation, said there will be an engagement between the city manager, Musa Mbhele, and officials in the water and sanitation unit to address the issues of vacancies raised by the AG. 'I have been made aware that there is a serious shortage in that cluster, but with the budget passed, we believe the process will begin to fill these posts,' Nkosi stated. He added that the shortage of staff is causing significant problems in service delivery. 'For example, you can have water tankers; however, water will not be delivered to the communities if there are no drivers. We want to buy more of our own tankers to have more control over the process, including where our water tankers are delivering and ensuring they are in touch with the councillor. We cannot control this if we rely on external contractors.' Speaking on the further impact of not having the necessary staff in place, he said, 'If there is a burst pipe, the speed required may not be available because you are relying on someone from elsewhere. We should have our own plumbers that we could discipline if necessary. It is very hard to discipline someone from an outside contractor,' Nkosi added. THE MERCURY
IOL News
3 days ago
- Business
- IOL News
Political parties guarded on effectiveness of Durban's R70. 9 billion 2025
There were mixed reactions to the eThekwini Municipality's R70.9 billion budget at a council meeting on Thursday. Image: Willem Phungula WHILE the majority of political parties approved the eThekwini Municipality's R70.9 million budget for 2025/2026 at a council meeting yesterday, many were sceptical about whether the objects of the exercise would be achieved. Some questioned whether the budget represented fair enough returns to ratepayers for their monthly outlay, considering the municipality's well-documented service delivery shortcomings. However, the municipality maintained that the budget was took into account their extensive public consultations, where they received the following comments: High tariffs were unaffordable; Ward committees were not active; Poor maintenance of leaking water pipes and sewers; Request for improvements of streetlights; Improvement in the replacement of electricity meters; Road rehabilitation of existing roads was lacking, as they are full of potholes and storm disaster damage; Delayed progress in housing projects; Poor building and maintenance of social facilities such as halls, sports fields, pools, and verges; Insufficient youth programmes. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ eThekwini Mayor Cyril Xaba emphasised that the budget was set on a trajectory to improve service delivery and technological innovation. Xaba promised more unannounced site visits and acknowledged that delays in responses to service delivery complaints costed the city. 'We will continue to adopt a financially sustainable revenue model,' he said. According to the municipality, it made amendments to the draft budget after public consultation by reducing water, refuse removal, and sanitation tariffs. ANC councillor Zama Sokhabase said the budget was designed to reshape eThekwini's future and stimulate economic growth with the revitalisation of public spaces and working together for the public. Sokhabase said the budget wiould also focus on health programmes such as teenage pregnancy. Andre Beetge, a DA councillor, said they have heard the same rhetoric year after year, with items adopted several years ago that were not implemented. Plans can be tabled, but the proof remained in service delivery. Beetge said the DA will not support a fairytale budget. IFP councillor Mdu Nkosi stated that the budget would deliver on the municipality's trading services, which included water, sanitation, cleaning, and solid waste management, to keep the city clean. Nkosi said The budget aimed to generate quick wins, gain service delivery momentum, and provide essential services. Councillor Jay Singh, representing the United Independent Movement (UIM), rejected the budget. He condemned the electricity tariff increase as a measure that unfairly targeted compliant ratepayers while failing to address revenue leaks and the city's debt. Singh said the budget lacked concrete plans to dismantle the 'electricity and water mafia' networks profiting from illegal connections in informal settlements. Zwakele Mncwango, of ActionSA, said the tariff increases were high and the budget failed to provide a budget for public transport and crime prevention, adding that the city also failed to collect debt because of poor financial management. Imtiaz Syed, President of Active Citizens Coalition (ACC), said that 75% of the budget was contributed by ratepayers, which he described as an injustice and penalised those who worked daily to pay their bills. Syed said it also did not deal with the informal settlement growth, which was prejudicing ratepayers. Patrick Pillay, leader of the Democratic Liberal Congress (DLC), said he did not support tariff increases that were way above the inflation rate. Pillay said the budget was providing a social package, one of a kind, when compared to other municipalities, that would bring great relief to pensioners, grantees, and the unemployed. Sunitha Maharaj, of the Minority Front, said the ordinary ratepayers needed the same investment in their infrastructure to enjoy the benefits of their payments to the city's coffers. Aslam Shaheed, the leader of the Truly Alliance (TA), said that while the budget vision was bold, it must be grounded in the realities that residents faced daily. 'We should implement a monthly performance review framework directly tied to key budget items, which would provide transparent updates, progress of infrastructure repairs, job creation, and catalytic investments. This would be responsible governance,' Shaheed said. The eThekwini Municipality R70.9 billion budget for the 2025/26 financial year has been adopted today at a full council meeting held at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre in Durban. Image: Zainul Dawood
IOL News
6 days ago
- Business
- IOL News
2026: Political parties weigh in on its impact
There were mixed reactions to the eThekwini Municipality's R70.9 billion budget at a council meeting on Thursday. Image: Willem Phungula The majority of political parties in the eThekwini Municipality have approved the R70.9 billion municipal budget for 2025 and 2026 at a council meeting on Thursday. Councillors representing various political parties had different views about how the budget would benefit the residents of eThekwini. The budget prioritises infrastructure rehabilitation and economic development. The municipality stated that after extensive public consultations, they received the following comments: High tariffs are unaffordable; Ward committees are not active; Poor maintenance of leaking water pipes and sewers; Request for improvements of streetlights; Improvement in the replacement of electricity meters; Road rehabilitation of existing roads, as they are full of potholes and storm disaster damage; Progress in housing projects; Poor building and maintenance of social facilities such as halls, sports fields, pools, and verges; Insufficient youth programmes. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ According to the municipality, it made amendments to the draft budget after public consultation by reducing water, refuse removal, and sanitation tariffs. ANC councillor Zama Sokhabase said the budget is designed to reshape eThekwini's future and stimulate economic growth with the revitalisation of public spaces and working together for the public. Sokhabase said the budget will also focus on health programmes such as teenage pregnancy. Andre Beetge, a DA councillor, said they have heard the same rhetoric year after year, with items adopted several years ago that were not implemented. Plans can be tabled, but the proof remains in service delivery. Beetge said the DA will not support a fairytale budget. IFP councillor Mdu Nkosi stated that the budget will deliver on the municipality's trading services, which include water, sanitation, cleaning, and solid waste management, to keep the city clean. Nkosi said The budget aims to generate quick wins, gain service delivery momentum, and provide essential services. Councillor Jay Singh, representing the United Independent Movement (UIM), rejected the budget. He condemned the electricity tariff increase as a measure that unfairly targets compliant ratepayers while failing to address revenue leaks and the city's debt. Singh said the budget lacks concrete plans to dismantle the 'electricity and water mafia' networks profiting from illegal connections in informal settlements. Zwakele Mncwango, of ActionSA, said the tariff increases were high and the budget failed to provide a budget for public transport and crime prevention, adding that the city also failed to collect debt because of poor financial management. Imtiaz Syed, President of Active Citizens Coalition (ACC), said that 75% of the budget was contributed by ratepayers, which he described as an injustice and penalising those who work daily to pay their bills. Syed said it also did not deal with the informal settlement growth, which was prejudicing ratepayers. Patrick Pillay, leader of the Democratic Liberal Congress (DLC), said he did not support tariff increases that are way above the inflation rate. Pillay said the budget is providing a social package, one of a kind, when compared to other municipalities, that will bring great relief to pensioners, grantees, and the unemployed. Sunitha Maharaj, of the Minority Front, said the ordinary ratepayers need the same investment in their infrastructure to enjoy the benefits of their payments to the city's coffers. Aslam Shaheed, the leader of the Truly Alliance (TA), said that while the budget vision is bold, it must be grounded in the realities that residents face daily. 'We should implement a monthly performance review framework directly tied to key budget items, which would provide transparent updates, progress of infrastructure repairs, job creation, and catalytic investments. This would be responsible governance,' Shaheed said. eThekwini Mayor Cyril Xaba said the budget accommodates a new approach to boost service delivery and technological innovation. Xaba added that they will continue to conduct unannounced site visits and are well aware that a delay in response time to service delivery complaints is a cost to the city. 'We will continue to adopt a financially sustainable revenue model,' he said.
IOL News
25-05-2025
- Entertainment
- IOL News
eThekwini Municipality's investment in Metro FM Music Awards sparks debate
The eThekwini Municipality has announced that Durban will host the Metro FM Music Awards. Image: Willem Phungula The announcement that the eThekwini Municipality is to host the Metro FM Music Awards has drawn mixed reactions from city councillors and ratepayers. Some councillors felt the idea was not negative, as the City does need to be competitive. However, a ratepayers group said the city should not be involved in such sponsorships, suggesting that there are many businesspeople who could have been approached to fund the event. Last week, the City announced that it has committed to an agreement to be the host city of the popular Metro FM Music Awards, with an investment of R25 million over the next three financial years (2025/26, 2026/27, and 2027/28). This partnership positions Durban as a leading events destination, boosts tourism, creates jobs, and enhances the city's brand visibility, both nationally and internationally, it said. ActionSA councillor Zwakele Mncwango expressed concerns about the process followed in the approval of this deal. He stated that while the City needs to compete for events, the issue lies in how the funds are being spent. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad Loading 'We have not seen any report before council, and the fact that it is being announced before the council, which is the highest decision-making body, has a say, tells us that council is being used to rubber stamp this decision by the officials. This should have come to council first before they committed to hosting the Metro awards. The decision disregards the role of council. One wonders if the deal has been signed; that will be a concern for us as Action SA, that it is coming from which budget as we have not budgeted for the Metro,' he said. Ish Pradlah also expressed concerns, stating, 'Why does the City of eThekwini want to spend so much money on the Metro FM Awards when we have such big businessmen and companies that benefit and get awarded tenders from the City and rake in millions from the city coffers and ratepayers' money? 'They should be the ones to sponsor awards like this and make it less of a burden for the ratepayers. Rich businessmen and entrepreneurs should give back to the City of eThekwini and lessen the cost to the city.' THE MERCURY
IOL News
23-05-2025
- Business
- IOL News
Durban businessman not backing down until City pays nearly half-a-billion owed to him
Durban City hall is the headquaters of eThekwini Municipality. Picture: Willem Phungula Image: Willem Phungula DURBAN businessman and legal advocate Siyabonga Xulu is taking a hardline stance against the eThekwini Municipality, demanding payment of over R413 million due to his company, Solbeth Security and Risk Management Services. Xulu, the owner of the Makhathini Group, which oversees 21 companies, told the Daily News, he will not relent until the city settles what's due to him, which includes over R62 million in interest. Xulu alleged that the municipality refused to pay for the critical security services his company provided to senior officials, including former city manager Sipho Nzuza, dating back to 2019. Now, he is calling on members of the city's Executive Committee (Exco) to intervene and force the city's ANC-IFP-EFF coalition government to act. 'I just want this matter to end now. I want us to find an amicable solution. I'm demanding what is rightfully mine,' said Xulu. 'The city must pay what it owes me. This is a legitimate claim backed by years of services rendered under the city's own instruction. My appeal to Exco is for the councillors to support me because I did the work and I must be paid for that,' he said. On September 8, 2024, Solbeth sent an official demand to Exco requesting the urgent settlement of R413,161,463. It included unpaid invoices and accumulated interest. Xulu said the city ignored the letter, just one of many signs of what he calls 'intentional delay tactics.' According to Xulu, his company was brought in during a period of heightened threats against municipal leadership. He alleged that the then city manager, Nzuza, personally appointed Solbeth to provide close protection and covert security operations for high-ranking officials. These services included sweeping and debugging of offices and homes, installing secret surveillance equipment, and monitoring movements of personnel through advanced systems. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ The original agreement was for eight months, with an option for renewal. Xulu claimed that even after the contract lapsed, Nzuza instructed him to continue the work, which he did, for years, believing the city would honor its financial obligations. 'This wasn't casual work,' said Xulu. 'We deployed high-level resources, and expensive technology, and trained personnel to safeguard the lives of municipal leaders. The city knew exactly what we were doing and why. Their refusal to pay now is not only dishonest, it's criminal. That is why we took the matter to court, where the city is also using all the tricks available to delay the matter.' Xulu said the fallout has been devastating for his business. His lawyer, Theyagaraj Chetty of Theyagaraj Chetty Attorneys, told the Daily News that the city is weaponising the legal system, dragging the matter through the courts while relying on public funds, leaving Xulu to cover all legal expenses himself. 'It's a disgrace. The city is using taxpayers' money to fight a man who protected their officials. Meanwhile, my client is left struggling to cover his business and personal expenses,' said Chetty. 'Solbeth is a major company, and what the city has done has had a knock-on effect on his business.' Chetty also slammed the court delays, saying the city benefits from a legal system that cannot offer Xulu timely justice. 'You can't even get a court date soon. That delay plays directly into the city's hands while my client suffers.' Municipal spokesperson Gugu Sisilana defended the city's actions, saying: 'The Municipality is entitled to legally defend itself against unclear claims in order to protect taxpayers' money. Any legal action taken is in the best interests of the public.' But Xulu was unmoved. He insisted that his claim was not only clear, it's fully justified and backed by documentation. 'I have got all the documents to prove that I did work for the city and was authorised to do that. It is a shame because the city officials are benefitting from something they are not paying for. My equipment is there (city).' WhatsApp your views on this story at 071 485 7995 DAILY NEWS
