Durban - eThekwini Mayor Mxolisi Kaunda will on Monday introduce the community of oThongathi to the contractor who will be rebuilding the oThongathi Water Treatment Plant that was washed away by the floods in April.
The community of Tongaat has been struggling without running water since the April floods. The Mercury newspaper reported in May that the SA Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) will be launching its own investigation into the disruption of water supply in oThongathi.
The SAHRC is extremely concerned with the impact of the disruption of the water supply on the local community, businesses, schools and other organisations/institutions and the length of time that the necessary repairs are expected to take. “The SAHRC’s KwaZulu-Natal provincial office has therefore registered an initiative complaint in terms of section 13 (3) (a) of the SAHRC Act, to investigate the current situation and to assess what interim measures have been implemented to alleviate the plight of all those affected.”
The SAHRC added that the commission was therefore engaging with the eThekwini Municipality and other relevant stakeholders to ensure that immediate and appropriate intervention and assistance is provided to the local community, businesses, schools and other organisations during this time.
eThekwini Municipality said the city understood the frustration of residents in the current situation. “The rebuilding of the plant will assist in restoring the provision of water supply in the area after the community were left without water when the plant was washed away.”
eThekwini Municipality added that the contractor was delayed to commence the work due to the objection the municipality received on the eleventh hour of the day the contractor was expected to start the construction. “ The objection was opposed and the contractor was recently awarded the letter to begin the work this week.”