KZN municipality suspects ‘deliberate contamination’ of two dams supplying water

A mayor in northern KwaZulu-Natal has expressed concern over “a deliberate contamination” of two dams supplying water to communities.

King Cetshwayo district mayor Thami Ntuli believes water at the eHlazi and Rutledge dams was purposely contaminated, forcing the municipality to suspend operations at the eShowe water purification plant.

Some of the businesses in the area had to shut down, while schools had to turn pupils away due to the water shutdown.

According to the municipality, four reservoirs had to be flushed out due to the alleged contamination. 

Ntuli described it as an act of sabotage, saying the municipality had no choice but to halt operations at the eShowe water purification plant until further notice. 

He said the district was now dispatching all available water tankers to provide clean water to the 15 eShowe and kwaHlokohloko wards and affected communities.

Ntuli said one of the reservoirs was shot at and damaged, leaving no doubt about this being an act of vandalism.

“Such actions inflict untold suffering upon our communities and pose a significant challenge to the district as a whole. We strongly condemn these acts of sabotage that compromise the infrastructure intended to serve our people’s fundamental needs,” said Ntuli.

He said two cases have been opened at uMlalazi and Mandeni police stations.

Water is an essential and precious resource, and its contamination and destruction for human consumption is unconscionable, he said. 

He confirmed that the disruptions affected schools, hospitals, clinics, households and businesses. 

“Our communities are facing hardships that should never have occurred, and the municipality stands united in its resolve to address this crisis.”

Ntuli said the unfortunate incidents occurred at a time the district had fixed a lot of water problems inherited from the previous administration.

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