Political interference, corruption, skills shortages, supply chain inefficiencies and red tape are among the causes of the eThekwini municipality’s
water and sanitation woes that have led to a breakdown of the water treatment infrastructure.
(Delwyn Verasamy/M&G)
President Cyril Ramaphosa is setting up a special working group to deal with the service delivery and infrastructure crisis in eThekwini metro after meeting business leaders in the city.
Ramaphosa met the Durban Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the KZN Growth Coalition last week to give the private sector an opportunity to work with the government on Durban’s most pressing issues, said his spokesperson, Vincent Magwenya.
Among the outcomes of the meeting would be an announcement regarding additional electricity generation to reduce the effect of load-shedding in the metro, he said.
Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan, Water and Sanitation Minister Senzo Mchunu, Police Minister Bheki Cele, Electricity Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa and Public Works Minister Sihle Zikalala, the chamber’s president Prasheen Maharaj, chief executive Palesa Phili and Toyota South Africa’s executive vice-president for manufacturing and support, Africa, were among the delegation.
The chamber represents about 3 000 businesses in eThekwini including multinationals, corporates and small and medium enterprises, as well as 54 000 informal sector enterprises through their business associations.
Magwenya said the meeting was an opportunity for the president and the business community “to recap on measures that have been put in place to grow the province’s economy and address the current water, electricity and infrastructure challenges”.
eThekwini metro and surrounding areas have been hit by multiple disasters, including the Covid-19 pandemic, the July 2021 riots that cost the provincial economy more than R20 billion in damages, and the April 2022 and subsequent floods that damaged business premises, houses, roads, water and wastewater infrastructure. These compounded the municipality’s poor record of infrastructure spending and maintenance, and poor service delivery.
Magwenya said Ramaphosa was in the process of establishing the Presidential eThekwini Working Group, which will comprise ministers in the affected portfolios, metro officials and business leaders “to accelerate the speedy resolution of issues” affecting the city.
“In the area of water and sanitation, there’s work being done. Soon, an announcement will be made with respect to additional electricity generation in eThekwini to address the severity of load-shedding.”
Magwenya said the South African Police Services at national and provincial levels are attending to issues of security and crime.
“The working group that has been announced by the president will be a collaborative forum that will bring together the relevant national government departments, the metro, business and other affected parties to work on resolving the issues that are plaguing the metro and seize on the opportunities that will advance economic growth in eThekwini and the province as a whole,” Magwenya said. “The working group will present their progress reports to the president regularly.”
Phili said the organisation had requested the meeting with the president to discuss the “ongoing issues experienced by the business community”.
“Businesses are being impacted negatively because of dysfunctional infrastructure, the poor state of key tourism assets, and safety and security concerns. In terms of addressing the issues, the city is moving at a very slow pace,” she said.
Business leaders had highlighted four strategic pillars required to recover the economy – the restoration and enhancement of infrastructure, including water and sanitation, energy distribution, waste management and parks; the restoration of Durban as a tourist destination; the promotion of the province as an investment hub; and safety and security, which includes retaining skills and upskilling officers, Phili added.
Of the presidential working group she said: “We have not yet assigned specific roles and responsibilities. In the coming months, we will be able to provide the solutions being co-developed by the government and private sector.”
Ramaphosa also met the Provincial House of Traditional and Koi-San Leadership last week to “foster closer relations between government and institutions of traditional leadership”.
Among the issues addressed was the finalisation of the Traditional Leaders Handbook, which outlines the support the government will provide to amakhosi.
The president urged amakhosi to collaborate with the government to fight social ills, build rural economies and help facilitate development such as the building of bridges, roads and educational programmes. He called on leaders and political parties to be tolerant of one another as the general election draws near.