Ten days. That is how long it will take to fix the burst pipes in Umlazi township, south of Durban, that have caused taps to run dry at the Prince Mshiyeni Memorial Hospital and surrounding area including the industrial zones in the southern basin.
This is according to eThekwini mayor Mxolisi Kaunda after visiting the site near the hospital on Wednesday afternoon.
“The challenge with the burst pipe is that it's an old asbestos pipe which has some water leaks. We have decided to remove this pipe and relocate it elsewhere. If it remains here it would affect the structure of the bridge,” said Kaunda.
Patients in the 1,075-bed hospital spoke about the challenges of not having water. Nokuthula Zuma, 53, from H section, said she was turned away because there was no water in the wards.
A medic, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the dire situation had resulted in some surgeries being aborted. “We have been on this road before. What normally happens is that we prioritise some cases based on needs. For example, if a patient is bleeding profusely then he or she has to be attended to. But if it's not an emergency then it's put on the back burner.”
Kaunda added that other areas of the sprawling township were not affected as they are supplied by reservoirs located elsewhere. He said the problem was due to ageing infrastructure, which had prompted them to come up with a long-term plan to rehabilitate the infrastructure. A short-term plan would entail diverting the pipes which would take 10 days.
“We are pushing our internal engineers to move with speed,” said Kaunda.
The engineers are also investigating other means of supplying water to the hospital while the pipes are being repaired.
KwaZulu-Natal health MEC Nomagugu Simelane said drinking water was being supplied in 5l bottles for patients and staff.
She said 30 JoJo tanks were also being installed in the hospital A water tanker from the eThekwini municipality is currently stationed at the hospital. .
“Water tankers with drivers from various districts throughout the province are also being mobilised to assist with filling of water in the reservoirs at the hospital,” said Simelane.
DA executive committee member Andre Beetge was unimpressed.
“I am disappointed the mayor only attended to this problem today. We have been on site since the weekend. You have a hospital full of people,” said Beetge.
Mzwandile Zulu, who works at Exit Car wash and the Shisa Nyama in Umlazi's V section, said they had been adversely affected by the water scarcity.
“We work with food here so we are always going to feel the pinch. On Sunday we had to shut down the whole business as we were without water,” said Zulu.
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Ten days to resolve Umlazi water woes
Image: Khaya Ngwenya
Ten days. That is how long it will take to fix the burst pipes in Umlazi township, south of Durban, that have caused taps to run dry at the Prince Mshiyeni Memorial Hospital and surrounding area including the industrial zones in the southern basin.
This is according to eThekwini mayor Mxolisi Kaunda after visiting the site near the hospital on Wednesday afternoon.
“The challenge with the burst pipe is that it's an old asbestos pipe which has some water leaks. We have decided to remove this pipe and relocate it elsewhere. If it remains here it would affect the structure of the bridge,” said Kaunda.
Patients in the 1,075-bed hospital spoke about the challenges of not having water. Nokuthula Zuma, 53, from H section, said she was turned away because there was no water in the wards.
A medic, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the dire situation had resulted in some surgeries being aborted. “We have been on this road before. What normally happens is that we prioritise some cases based on needs. For example, if a patient is bleeding profusely then he or she has to be attended to. But if it's not an emergency then it's put on the back burner.”
Kaunda added that other areas of the sprawling township were not affected as they are supplied by reservoirs located elsewhere. He said the problem was due to ageing infrastructure, which had prompted them to come up with a long-term plan to rehabilitate the infrastructure. A short-term plan would entail diverting the pipes which would take 10 days.
“We are pushing our internal engineers to move with speed,” said Kaunda.
The engineers are also investigating other means of supplying water to the hospital while the pipes are being repaired.
KwaZulu-Natal health MEC Nomagugu Simelane said drinking water was being supplied in 5l bottles for patients and staff.
She said 30 JoJo tanks were also being installed in the hospital A water tanker from the eThekwini municipality is currently stationed at the hospital. .
“Water tankers with drivers from various districts throughout the province are also being mobilised to assist with filling of water in the reservoirs at the hospital,” said Simelane.
DA executive committee member Andre Beetge was unimpressed.
“I am disappointed the mayor only attended to this problem today. We have been on site since the weekend. You have a hospital full of people,” said Beetge.
Mzwandile Zulu, who works at Exit Car wash and the Shisa Nyama in Umlazi's V section, said they had been adversely affected by the water scarcity.
“We work with food here so we are always going to feel the pinch. On Sunday we had to shut down the whole business as we were without water,” said Zulu.
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