The eThekwini metropolitan municipality has rubbished its mayor Mxolisi Kaunda’s claims that the State Security Agency’s (SSA) final report on investigations into the notorious water mafia operating in the city has been completed and is ready to be tabled in council for discussion.
Kaunda first announced last year that the metro had acquired the services of SSA to conduct investigations following reports that the water mafia deliberately sabotaged water supply by, among others, bursting water pipes so they could get tenders to supply water to affected communities through water tankers.
“The investigation has been elevated to the State Security Agency because we suspect sabotage and vandalism,” said Kaunda at the time.
Kaunda repeated these claims when speaking to Sunday World early this year, saying that the SSA report had been completed and its findings would be tabled in council.
However, the municipality’s spokesperson, Gugu Sisilana, sang a different tune this week, saying the metro had no knowledge of the intelligence report on water sabotage. “We have no knowledge of this, and we do not comment on behalf of the intelligence services,” Sisilana told Sunday World.
The DA said this week that it was strange that the metro would deny the existence of the SSA report. “We will push for answers and hold the mayor to account. We all know who is responsible for the sabotage. It’s the water mafia connected to politicians,” said DA KwaZulu-Natal premiership candidate Chris Pappas.
Pappas also said that it had become clear that there was a concerted effort by criminal elements in the province to disrupt the water supply for their own illicit gains.
The IFP said there was no political will on the part of eThekwini to deal with the water mafia.
“The only way to crack down on the water tankers is to use insourced water tankers. We implemented this strategy upon assuming office in the King Cetshwayo Municipality. We bought our own water tankers and stopped using private providers. In this way, we closed the taps of corruption,” said Thami Ntuli, IFP KwaZulu-Natal chairperson and premier candidate.
He said although insourcing had cost the northern KwaZulu-Natal-based municipality millions of rands, it had assisted it in the construction of water projects. “We should strive to install water infrastructure in all communities instead of using water tankers. This will end corruption,” he said.
