Claimed mismanagement hinders water supply
THE greater Mtubatuba area is entering its fourth week of critical water shortages. And while there appears to be some light at the end of the tunnel, inept management appears to be hindering supply of this crucial resource. While water scarcity owing to the current drought is the cause of the shortages, mismanagement is blamed …
THE greater Mtubatuba area is entering its fourth week of critical water shortages.
And while there appears to be some light at the end of the tunnel, inept management appears to be hindering supply of this crucial resource.
While water scarcity owing to the current drought is the cause of the shortages, mismanagement is blamed for exacerbating the situation.
Two weeks ago it was announced that water would be pumped for four hours daily and that 4.8-million litres were available everyday.
However, residents in St Lucia and most of Mtubatuba and KwaMsane say they have received next to nothing as available water was not distributed evenly throughout the affected areas.
Furthermore, it is said those responsible for water distribution were using half the daily rations to ‘scour out’ Mtubatuba’s main reservoir.
In a meeting with the uMkhanyakude District Municipality, its contractors and Lionel Pienaar of CoGTA (Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs) last Thursday, the St Lucia Ratepayers Association raised concerns over the apparent ‘politicising’ of the crisis.
It was confirmed that the subcontractor of the district-appointed water contractor had gone on strike earlier in the day, effectively shutting down Mtubatuba’s pump station.
This situation was allegedly rectified by late afternoon when the contractor reclaimed the pumps.
Two of five recently commissioned boreholes along the Mfolozi River are reportedly online, yielding 2.5-million litres of good quality water daily.
These boreholes will supplement river water for the remainder of the dry season. However, by midday on Friday, no water was forthcoming and was reportedly ‘going missing en route’.
Knock-on effects
An accommodation establishment based in St Lucia reported a 70% cancellation rate directly related to the water crisis.
Another venue almost lost a large group booking over the weekend as the visitors voiced concerns over the crisis.
This water crisis, an annual event which would have been avoided had uMkhanyakude District Municipality extended Mtubatuba’s waterworks by 2005 as advised in 2002, is a ticking time bomb for the region’s tourism industry.
