The eThekwini metro’s water and sanitation’s finances are in shambles, and the department’s infrastructure is on the brink of crashing. (Manolo Guijarro/ Getty Images)
The eThekwini metro’s water and sanitation department is on the verge of bankruptcy as officials warn that ageing infrastructure such as water, sewage and wastewater treatment plants, pipes and pump stations are constrained and face a high risk of collapsing completely.
The explosive details about the department’s gloomy finances and the imminent collapse of the metro’s water and sanitation grid are contained in a series of internal audit reports, memorandums and email communications between officials, and have been obtained by News24.
A report titled “eThekwini Water and Sanitation Turnaround Strategy”, dated April last year, shows that the department is teetering on the verge of bankruptcy. “The financial performance of the water and sanitation service has deteriorated significantly over the past eight years or more, and the water and sanitation business is now in serious financial trouble. Water and services in eThekwini are in serious trouble. The eThekwini water and sanitation service is in deep financial trouble.”
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