The Johannesburg High Court has dismissed an urgent court bid by the owner of Marble Towers to prevent the City of Joburg from acting against allegedly illegal structures erected at the CBD property.

In a judgment delivered on Thursday, Judge Leicester Adams dismissed an application brought by Goldenrod Group (Pty) Ltd after finding that several container structures on the Rahima Moosa Street property were built without approved plans and did not comply with building regulations.

Goldenrod Group had sought an interim interdict preventing the city and its officials from demolishing, removing, dismantling or interfering with the structures at Marble Towers.

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But the court also ruled that the city could not demolish the structures without first obtaining the necessary authorisation.

The court found that no building plans had ever been submitted or

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Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality has confirmed an African Swine Fever (ASF) outbreak after several pigs were found dead in the Grogro informal settlement near Sherwood in Gqeberha.

Earlier this week, the municipality told residents that the detection of the disease posed no risk to human health, emphasising that African Swine Fever is a highly contagious viral disease that affects domestic and wild pigs.

The municipality’s Director for Environmental Health, Dr Patrick Nodwele, along with municipal health officials, were alerted to the pig deaths. Upon arriving on site, they initially suspected poisoning.

“However, after engaging the State Veterinary Services and conducting the necessary tests, the final confirmed diagnosis was African Swine Fever,” Nodwele said.

African Swine Fever has become a recurring animal-health problem in South Africa’s pig sector, including in the Eastern Cape.

The national Department of Agriculture’s latest April update recorded 58 ASF outbreaks in the

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uMngeni-uThukela Water – the bulk water supplier to eThekwini Municipality — has denied that sabotage linked to the so-called water tanker mafia caused the Nagle Dam valve failure, which left thousands of residents in over 60 suburbs and townships without water for almost three days.  

The valve failure resulted in a reduction of 150 megalitres of water per day that is usually supplied to the metro for treatment at the Durban Heights Water Works.

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Responding to claims of sabotage, uMngeni-uThukela Water spokesperson Siyabonga Maphumulo said the board had no official information suggesting foul play.

“As uMngeni-uThukela Water, we are not aware of any sabotage claims. What we are aware of is that the valve broke during a routine maintenance operation,” Maphumulo said.

He did not specify whether the damage was caused by uMngeni-uThukela Water staff or by a private contractor working on the system.

Concerns about “water mafias” in eThekwini and KwaZulu-Natal are not new.

In a July 2025 statement, Deputy Water and Sanitation Minister David Mahlobo said criminal syndicates were deliberately disrupting water networks, damaging “pump stations, pipelines and valves” and then profiting by selling tanker water at inflated prices. Mahlobo called it economic sabotage.

In a written parliamentary reply in 2023, the water ministry similarly acknowledged allegations that infrastructure is at times vandalised to prolong business opportunities through tankers.

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The Nagle Dam valve failure, first reported on 11 March, disrupted the supply of raw water to the Durban Heights Water Treatment Works, which supplies treated water to a large number of areas across eThekwini’s northern, southern and western systems.

The board’s denial comes after claims circulated within political and community circles in the city that the valve may have been damaged by people linked to the water tanker mafia.  

Recently, ANC councillor Luthando Jali was recorded while addressing a community meeting in Ntshongweni, where he said that when there is a water crisis in the area, his hands are tied because the system is sometimes “deliberately sabotaged” in order to bring in tankers.

Jali said he received death threats after the video was widely circulated on social media,. He told Inside Politics he had gone into hiding because he feared he could be killed for making the statements.

The water crisis forced eThekwini Municipality and uMngeni-uThukela Water to scramble to contain the fallout as homes, businesses and tourism sites were hit by shortages.

In a statement released on Sunday, the municipality said repairs had been completed.

“The bulk water supplier, uMngeni-uThukela Water, which is responsible for the repair work, has confirmed that the damaged valves have now been successfully repaired,” it said.

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“This marks a critical step toward restoring normal operations within the eThekwini water supply system. As a result, the Durban Heights Water Treatment Works will be able to operate at full treatment capacity from tomorrow, 16 March 2026.”

But, added the municipality, while treatment capacity had been restored, “the full reticulation of the system will take time”.

“The stabilisation and replenishment of reservoirs and pipelines across the network is expected to take up to two weeks.”

To manage the recovery, the city said it had introduced temporary rationing.

“Under the temporary rationing plan currently being implemented across affected systems and reservoirs, some consumers will receive water during the morning only, while others will receive water during both the morning and afternoon until the system stabilises.”

Under the ANC-led eThekwini Municipality, unplanned water outages have become a recurring feature of daily life, with residents telling the city in its draft 2025/26 IDP review that they “routinely face water outages” and sometimes go for days without.

President Cyril Ramaphosa has said the Presidency will continue targeted support at the metro through the Presidential eThekwini Working Group to improve basic services.

At a stakeholder meeting earlier this month, he said non-revenue water in the city stood at 55%, “far above acceptable benchmarks”.

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The ANC in Sedibeng has sharply condemned opposition parties for walking out of an Emfuleni Local Municipality council sitting on Thursday, following the EFF’s welcome of the move that resulted in the municipality failing for a second time to pass its adjustment budget.

The political standoff has deepened tensions in the struggling Vaal municipality, with the ANC accusing opposition parties of sabotaging governance and the EFF arguing the rejected budget was unlawful and would have worsened the municipality’s financial crisis.

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In a statement on Saturday, ANC Sedibeng Regional Secretary Jason Mkhwane said the Democratic Alliance (DA), EFF and Freedom Front Plus (FF Plus) deliberately refused to participate in the council sitting where the adjustment budget was due to be considered.

“The African National Congress in Sedibeng condemns the refusal by the DA, EFF and FF+

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The eThekwini Municipality says it will conduct building audits across all municipal facilities to assess and improve accessibility, pledging upgrades that allow people with disabilities to access services “with dignity and ease”.

The municipality made the commitment during a session at the Amanzimtoti Civic Centre over the weekend, held as part of city-wide public consultations on its draft annual report 2024/25.

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Engaging with the disability sector, the municipality said it remained focused on service delivery that “meaningfully responds” to the needs of residents living with disabilities.

It presented an overview of the sector’s achievements over the past year and identified areas for improvement.

“Concerns raised included infrastructure accessibility, employment opportunities for people with disabilities, and the need for enhanced communication equipment,” the municipality said.

It said the annual report will set out performance and guide

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The Mossel Bay Municipality has officially unveiled its R112 million Hartenbos Wastewater Treatment Works (WWTW) solar photovoltaic (PV) plant and hybrid micro-grid system, a first-of-its-kind municipal energy resilience project in the Garden Route, designed to safeguard critical infrastructure against power disruptions and loadshedding up to Stage 6.

At the ribbon-cutting ceremony last week, municipal manager Colin Puren hailed the project as a cornerstone in Mossel Bay’s long-term vision for resilience and sustainability.

“As a municipal manager, I am proud to say that we are one step closer to making our city and our town sustainable,” Puren said.

Mossel Bay mayor Dirk Kotze highlighted the strategic foresight behind the investment, citing the volatility of Eskom’s power supply and rising electricity prices as key motivations.

“We all know the history of Eskom and energy prices in South Africa. The Mossel Bay council decided to start investing in energy sustainability. This project means that our bulk infrastructure will be able to cope with extended periods of loadshedding,” Kotze explained.

Developed in partnership with Solareff and Element Consulting Engineers, the project marks a milestone in the municipality’s broader clean energy transition.

The system integrates solar power generation, battery energy storage, and diesel backup into a fully automated micro-grid capable of seamless switching between energy sources to ensure uninterrupted operations at the wastewater facility.

Spanning 3.5 hectares of municipal land north of the R102 and N2, the installation combines 4,536 PV panels generating 2.112 MVA, supported by a Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) rated at 2.75 MVA and a generator farm with 1.6 MVA capacity.

The PV inverter station has a capacity of 3.2 MVA, while a newly constructed substation featuring 11 kV switchgear and control systems enables seamless switching between solar, battery, and diesel power. 

Under normal conditions, the micro-grid operates in parallel with the Eskom supply.

During grid outages, the BESS automatically takes over, drawing on stored energy generated during daylight hours.

Diesel generators serve as a tertiary backup to maintain continuous treatment operations, an essential safeguard for environmental protection and public health.

Crucially, the system is also grid-tied, allowing excess solar energy to be exported back into the municipal grid during off-peak times.

This not only offsets the town’s electricity costs but also contributes to local grid stability and decarbonisation efforts.

Construction began in April 2024, with Solareff serving as the engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contractor and Element Consulting Engineers overseeing the electrical design and integration.

Ground was officially broken in November last year, and practical completion was achieved at the end of September 2025 following final testing and commissioning.

For Solareff’s Chief Commercial Officer DeVilliers Botha, the project demonstrates how decentralised energy systems can reinforce South Africa’s fragile transmission grid. 

“You often hear that we need to expand the transmission grid to deliver power across the country. But if we install more of these micro-grid systems, we bring resilience and stability to local grids,” Botha said.

He noted that by combining embedded solar generation and micro-grid control, municipalities can ensure operational continuity for essential services such as water treatment, health facilities, and emergency services; while reducing dependence on Eskom.

According to municipal spokesperson Cornelle Carstens, the Hartenbos plant’s 4,512 kWh BESS allows stored solar energy to be exported into the municipal grid during evening peak hours, reducing Mossel Bay’s maximum demand from Eskom and alleviating pressure on the national grid.

“Beyond backup power, the system has been engineered to contribute to the broader municipal energy strategy. It’s not only about keeping the lights on during loadshedding, it’s about using clean energy to make our essential services more affordable and efficient,” Carstens said.

The Hartenbos wastewater project stands as one of the Western Cape’s leading municipal micro-grids, joining a growing list of local government-led renewable energy initiatives aimed at improving energy independence.

With its robust combination of solar PV, BESS, and smart control systems, the facility has effectively safeguarded Mossel Bay’s sanitation infrastructure against blackouts, while setting a precedent for how small and mid-sized municipalities can invest strategically in clean, resilient power.

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The eThekwini Municipality said on Monday that the 2025/26 cruise season is expected to contribute nearly R1.88 billion to Durban’s economy through direct, indirect, and induced impacts.

This would be driven by spending from an estimated 255,000 visitors arriving between November 2025 and June 2026.

Cruise visitors will contribute directly around R762 million to the local economy, but the multiplier effect is expected to increase the amount to about R1.12 billion.

“Overall, the combined direct, indirect, and induced contributions to Durban’s GDP are estimated at nearly R1.88 billion,” said the city.

The projections are largely based on passenger and crew spending while ashore, which is expected to sustain roughly 3 401 jobs and yield more than R140.5 million in tax revenue for the metro.

The season will start in late November and end in June 2026. It will open with the arrival of flagship vessels MSC Opera

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The eThekwini Municipality said this week that the city is expecting about 1.3 million visitors over the upcoming summer holiday period, and quelled fears about water quality at several of its popular beaches.

The municipality’s tourism agency, Durban Tourism, launched a national roadshow to showcase Durban’s beaches and cultural and holiday attractions.

The campaign kicked off in Mpumalanga and Limpopo provinces with “vibrant activations” at Middleburg, Nelspruit’s Riverside Mall, and Polokwane’s Mall of the North.

But the drive comes amid ongoing concerns about the municipality’s long-standing sewage-management crisis, which has seen recurring sewage spills, elevated E. coli levels and intermittent beach closures along the coastline.

Earlier this week, the city issued a statement about a website that falsely claimed the majority of Durban beaches had been “red-flagged” because of dangerous levels of E. coli and high incidents of crime.

The municipality said the allegations were “false, unfounded and not supported by any credible data”. The “misinformation”, according to the city, was damaging to the reputation of the metro and discouraged tourism. The city issued a notice to the hosting company and website, saying it would take legal action if its notice was not complied with.

eThekwini spokesperson Gugu Sisilana told Inside Metros that eThekwini conducts bi-weekly water quality testing at its beaches, and those results “will determine whether the water at any of our beaches meets the required safety standards for public use”.

“When results indicate that bacteria levels exceed safe limits, precautionary beach closures are implemented immediately to safeguard public health,” she said.

“Updated beach status reports are published on the city’s website and shared through official social media platforms to ensure transparency and timely communication with residents, tourists, and businesses.”

Sisilana also said that the municipality is working closely with UMngeni-uThukela Water and the Water Services Directorate “to manage and improve sewerage and water infrastructure, and to respond swiftly to any pollution incidents that may arise”.

“The city remains committed to maintaining Durban’s beaches as a key tourism and economic asset, particularly ahead of the festive season,” she said, and would continue prioritising the protection and maintenance of beaches.

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Decisive measures to address the governance and service delivery challenges in the uMdoni local municipality have been announced by KwaZulu-Natal cooperative governance and traditional affairs MEC Thulasizwe Buthelezi.

The MEC met council members on Monday to communicate the provincial executive’s decision to intervene in the municipality under Section 154(1) of the Constitution.

This follows extensive engagements with the municipality and community members aimed at restoring stability.

Section 154(1) mandates national and provincial governments, through legislative and other measures, to support and strengthen the capacity of municipalities to manage their own affairs and to exercise their powers and functions.

Buthelezi also announced that local government specialist, Dhanpalan Devaraj Naidoo, would be appointed to guide the municipality through its current challenges.

“Naidoo is a seasoned local government specialist whose wealth of experience is unquestionable. We believe his expertise will be crucial in stabilising the municipality,” he said in a statement on Tuesday.

“uMdoni is a key tourism hub that should exemplify good governance, sound financial management and efficient service delivery. This is what ratepayers want to see.”

The MEC said Naidoo would support the council without undermining its powers and responsibilities.

Meanwhile, Buthelezi has commended the suspension of five officials, including the municipality’s CFO and supply chain management director, following financial misconduct allegations in the run-up to the general elections.

He said they were placed on suspension on Friday, pending the outcome of the investigation.

The suspensions sent a strong message that the department was dealing decisively with restoring good governance and consequence management, Buthelezi said.

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