Pietermaritzburg court orders eThekwini to act on Durban sewage crisis

By Lebone Rodah Mosima

The Pietermaritzburg High Court on Thursday ruled against the eThekwini Municipality, ordering it to take urgent steps to address the ongoing sewage crisis that has polluted rivers and beaches across Durban in KwaZulu-Natal.

The Democratic Alliance (DA) welcomed the judgment, which followed a court application it brought accusing the municipality for failing to act decisively despite years of sewage spills.

The spills have led to repeated beach closures, environmental degradation and financial losses for local businesses.

“The High Court ruling compels the municipality to implement the following steps, among others, to protect the public’s right to a safe and healthy environment,” the DA said in a statement.

These include publishing weekly E. coli readings for all public beaches on the municipality’s website, social media platforms and at beach sites; urgently implementing an action plan to repair and maintain sewer infrastructure; and reporting back to the court