Durban (Foto: Shutterstock)
While taps run dry in Durban townships and sewage flows down the streets, pres. Cyril Ramaphosa to unveil statues worth millions of rands.
Haniff Hoosen, the DA’s mayoral candidate for eThekwini, therefore made an urgent appeal to the president to instead use his upcoming visit to Durban to prioritize repairs to the city’s dilapidated infrastructure and service delivery.
The eThekwini municipality recently announced that the president will unveil two new statues in the city on March 3. The erection of these statues cost taxpayers almost R22 million – an amount which, according to the DA, could have been much better used to alleviate the pressing service delivery crisis in the city.
Pres. Cyril Ramaphosa. (Photo: Jairus Rabbit/GCIS)
Hoosen expressed his displeasure in a letter to the president and argued that the priorities of the local government were completely skewed. Hoosen says the people of eThekwini are already overburdened by municipal failures and that this expenditure is inappropriate.
“I challenge Ramaphosa to use his visit to eThekwini next month to unveil new and much needed service delivery infrastructure that provides water and sewerage to the people of eThekwini, rather than unveiling statues.
“At a time when Durban is facing profound service delivery challenges, this allocation of scarce public resources is deeply inappropriate and understandably frustrating for residents who are already burdened by municipal failures,” says Hoosen.
Durban’s water and sewage crisis deepens
The situation in Durban is critical. It is estimated that more than 60% of the city’s potable water is lost due to outdated infrastructure and a continued lack of investment in maintenance. Many communities are without water for days on end, while water-shedding has already been introduced in several large townships.
In addition to the water crisis, the city is plagued by continuous sewage spills that pose serious health and environmental risks.
According to Hoosen, these problems stem directly from years of poor management and the failure to prioritize core infrastructure. The DA even had to approach all the courts to force the city council to take corrective action.
“Despite these urgent needs, significant public funds are still being used for non-essential pride projects, while many residents struggle daily with inadequate access to water, sanitation, housing and employment opportunities.
“Repeated requests to the city council’s leadership to redirect funding to essential services were largely ignored, to such an extent that the court had to intervene to enforce the necessary action.”
Financial decay and political priorities
The financial management of the eThekwini municipality is also under great pressure. Irregular spending has skyrocketed from R700 million about four years ago to more than R4 billion. These figures paint a sobering picture of deterioration in financial control in the council.
Hoosen emphasizes that although statues have historical value, they must not overshadow the current crisis of the residents. He demands that the president use his time in the city to meet with the leadership of the city to tackle the real problems.
“In all nations around the world, statues have a place and a meaning. They remind us of great achievements from the past that moved society forward.
“Statues should not be torn down or undermined, but the government focuses on other priorities. Next month, the president must put the people of eThekwini above his own vanity,” says Hoosen.