Durban — eThekwini Municipality’s Durban EDGE has launched a survey to evaluate the economic implications of Durban’s current water challenges.
This survey, which closes on Friday, seeks to gather insights on how water management and infrastructure developments are affecting local businesses, employment, and economic growth in the region.
In a public notice, it stated that the EDGE survey is designed to pinpoint areas where strategic intervention can yield the greatest benefits and that the findings will guide the municipality in prioritising investments in water infrastructure, support initiatives, and economic development programmes.
The survey results will also help shape long-term strategies to enhance Durban’s resilience and ensure sustained economic growth, it said.
The municipality encouraged all relevant stakeholders to participate in the EDGE survey, as their feedback is essential in shaping effective policies and interventions.
They further said that survey the results will be shared publicly, promoting transparency, and encouraging community involvement in the decision-making process.
In a recent article published by IOL News, eThekwini mayor Cyril Xaba said that the fact that most of the City’s regions have no water is due to ageing infrastructure, water demand exceeding supply due to population growth, theft and vandalism.
“For instance, in the central region, the supply was sitting at 100% supply, 95% in the inner-west, 90% in the north and southern regions as well as 85% in the outer west,” Xaba said.
He further said that the the municipality is implementing projects to mitigate these challenges.
While addressing the two-day South African Local Government Association KZN Sanitation Conference attendees at the Coastlands Musgrave Hotel in Durban, KZN Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) MEC Reverend Thulasizwe Buthelezi called on all local municipalities to prioritise water and sanitation, which remain a challenge in the province.
“Cogta wants to come closer to the municipalities. If we look at the business plans of all the water service authorities, one would find that all the business plans are about water and very few are about sanitation,” said Buthelezi.
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