Staff Reporter
President Cyril Ramaphosa commended the recent strides made by the Presidential eThekwini Working Group in addressing critical service delivery and infrastructure issues in the eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality.
Established in April 2024, the PeWG includes government representatives, private sector leaders, and labor groups focused on transforming the city into an investment and tourism hub.
Addressing the Presidential eThekwini Working Group in Durban on Thursday, Ramaphosa said key achievements include progress on the city’s water and sanitation initiatives.
“There has been significant milestones achieved in the implementation of the Water and Sanitation Turnaround Plan,” Ramaphosa told dozens of the country’s top businessmen, ministers, mayors and organised labour.
“These include the finalisation of water supply agreements for the Upper Mkhomazi Water Project, which will provide 200 million cubic meters of water by 2026, and begin coming online in 2027. In the short term, improvements in water supply will be gained through interventions on non-revenue water and the roll-out of a city-wide water reduction campaign.”
Ramaphosa said other improvements include the KwaXimba bulk water project to boost potable water in the city’s outer-west region, rehabilitation of the flood-damaged Nagle Aqueducts, and replacement of pipelines in the north of eThekwini.
In addition, a R189.5 million grant from National Treasury will aid the city’s critical water infrastructure repairs and efforts to curb water losses.
The PeWG has also made progress on environmental management, achieving a 19% improvement in wastewater compliance, with uMngeni-uThukela Water intervening at ten major wastewater treatment facilities.
However, challenges remain. The President highlighted the recent water curtailment measures and flooding risks in the South Durban Basin due to damage to the Umlaas Canal.
“We are well aware of the great risk faced by large manufacturers and businesses in the South Durban Basin as a result of damages to the Umlaas Canal and its inadequate capacity to mitigate increasing climate risk,” said Ramaphosa.
“We will be urgently exploring options to classify the canal as a Strategic Integrated Project. We will use Operation Vulindela’s focus on local government to mobilise additional expertise to support project delivery in the workstreams.”
He also urged residents to support the new ‘Water Secure eThekwini’ campaign to reduce water usage by 8% and called on city officials to fast-track plans to prevent further beach closures, which have reduced from six in October to two in November.
To increase investment and job creation in eThekwini, Ramaphosa said government was roposing the establishment of an Investment Facilitation Team in the working group.
This team would support private sector investments into catalytic projects by reducing red tape and fast-tracking approvals.
“We call on business, through the Durban Chamber of Commerce and Industry, to support and contribute to the establishment of this team,” he said.
“I would like to thank you all as critical stakeholders for working hand-in-hand with Government to position eThekwini as the shining jewel of KwaZulu-Natal.”
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