The KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Transport, Community Safety and Liaison, Mxolisi Kaunda convened a follow-up meeting with all relevant government departments in Ladysmith to assess the progress made in addressing service delivery challenges in Ekuvukeni.
Last month, members of the community embarked on a service delivery protest complaining about the shortage of water and spilling sewage pipes in the area.
Kaunda was pleased that the situation has returned to normal in the area as people are able to go to work and access clinics and schools. He also commended the police for arresting 25 people for assault with an intent to cause Grievous Bodily harm (GBH) and malicious damage to property, following the torching of SASSA offices and the Parliamentary Constituency Office.
However, Kaunda expressed a concern that the company that was appointed by the municipality to fix water and sewage pipes is still being disrupted by members of the community. He asked the police to devise a plan that will enable the contractor to go back on site to continue with the work tomorrow.
Kaunda stressed the importance of resolving service delivery problems in the area as they are a health hazard. “It is unacceptable that we still have blocked and spilling sewer pipes in the area because there are people who attack the contractor that is fixing the problem. I have asked the police, the contractor and the municipal officials to develop a plan that will ensure that the contractor is not disrupted on site tomorrow,” said Kaunda.
He reminded government officials in the meeting that the provision of clean drinking water and sanitation remain a priority for government.
In 1994, the democratic government inherited a huge services backlog with respect to access to water and sanitation. Recent statistics indicate that the country has made progress in improving access to water supply. By 2010, the country reached universal access in urban and rural areas as the share of those with access increased from 66% to 79%. By 2015, access to water increased to 93%.