The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) says it is pleased by the progress of water provision at the Ugu District Municipality after recent labour unrest disrupted service delivery in the area.

According to the department considerable progress has been made in the area with 95% of the reservoirs replenished to ensure access to water.

The Department says it is still working closely with the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, the Ugu District Municipality and affected stakeholders to ensure that all the remaining issues are resolved speedily without any further delay.

“DWS would like to emphasise that there will be enough water to meet the peak demands of the holiday season upon us. The Municipality is completing a response plan should circumstances, such as the one experienced recently, re-occur,” the department explains.

Contingency plans in place

The Provincial Government, through the Provincial Management Centre, is also developing a contingency plan, which may include the deployment of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF), subject to necessary protocols.

“The water situation at Ugu District Municipality had negative consequences, not just for households residing in the area but also for potential tourists who had planned to visit.

Whilst the Department understands and respects the rights of the workers to go on industrial action as it is enshrined in the Constitution, but we are also mindful of the importance of water as a basic right that should be easily accessible, the department concludes.