ActionSA leadership says they were forced to do their inspection of Ugu Municipality water treatment plants from a distance after they were blocked by the municipality officials and security guards. | Supplied.
Durban — Political party ActionSA in KwaZulu-Natal said it would go to court to force Ugu District Municipality to grant them access for its independent water experts to inspect water infrastructure.
This after the party leadership was blocked by the municipality officials and security guards during their oversight visit on Monday.
In a statement issued by the party’s provincial premier candidate Zwakele Mncwango after the visit he said his party had embarked on a water tour in the Ugu District Municipality to assess the dire water situation that has affected residents for years, saying the inspection of water infrastructure was intended to provide insights into the persistent water shortages experienced by the community of the South Coast.
He said, however, their efforts were met with obstruction as municipal officials blocked their team’s access to crucial sites, including sewer pump stations and water treatment plants.
Mncwango, who is also eThekwini councillor, said throughout the tour, they were closely followed by municipal officials as they moved from one inspection to the other.
“We are deeply concerned by the actions of the municipal officials and question their motives for preventing our access. What are they attempting to conceal from the public eye? What is the true condition of the infrastructure within these plants?” asked Mncwango.
To make matters worse, he said upon arrival at Bhobhoyi Water Works, security guards and municipal officials physically blocked their entrance with a vehicle, preventing them from further examination. He said the vehicle was positioned in an area where a gate should have been installed, but none existed, adding the absence of the gate itself highlighted the infrastructure challenges because it posed security vulnerabilities for infrastructure.
“It’s disappointing that the municipality chooses to block our oversight efforts. We are not the villains. Our aim is to assist Ugu residents and address these challenges, as they are the ones forced to live under such harsh conditions with little to no access to clean water. The municipality should work hand-in-hand with us to assist residents instead of blocking us,” concluded Mncwango.
The party vowed to continue with its efforts to uncovering the truth behind the water crisis in the municipality and holding accountable those responsible for its resolution, no matter the number of municipal officials they send to block them from uncovering such truth, saying the party’s legal team would soon file court papers to force the municipality to provide clean water to the residents as prescribed by the Constitution. Furthermore, the party vowed to return to the district armed with a court order preventing the municipality from blocking their access to the plants.
On Wednesday, the party visited water treatment plants around eThekwini Municipality and will hold a media briefing on Thursday to share the findings with the public.
Ugu District Municipality spokesperson Wendy Mqadi had not responded at the time of publication but the comment will be added once received.
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