Durban — Inanda residents have threatened a mass shutdown in the area next week over the issue of water and other services.
This is after eThekwini Mayor Cyril Xaba visited their ward last month and promised to seek answers from the relevant authorities about the ongoing water challenges in parts of the municipality, yet the communities are still battling.
The area has been without water since the 2022 floods. Some households also complained about their high municipal bills.
Residents of Inanda Newtown A, in particular, said among many issues, the water crisis was the main problem that had not been resolved.
Last month the community continued to demonstrate against the water and sanitation problems. On July 14, Xaba visited the water-stricken ward 56 in Inanda Newtown A and the Ngoqokazi areas to receive a first-hand report on water challenges confronting that community. The community said their issues dated back to the 2022 floods.
Xaba said: “I have come to this area after receiving a phone call from the local councillor complaining about persisting water challenges. Having seen first-hand the challenges on the ground, I am now in a better position to understand the plight of the community and will be able seek appropriate answers from the administration as to why are we having these challenges and when they are planning to resolve them.”
One of the residents, who did not want to be named, said another issue was that of a clinic that was shut down in 2022 after the floods. Today, people have to travel far to get medical assistance. The community had suffered a lot.
“After the clinic was closed temporarily because of the damage, the community suffered because they had to travel long distances to get to another clinic. The buses also do not travel on their routes,” she said.
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