Mchunu said his department is trying to find solutions to the water challenges that have affected the communities of oThongathi, Phoenix and Verulam.
This is after protests over the lack of water have been taking place in the Verulam area since Monday and as the DA has reported the municipality to the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC).
Mchunu said his department is engaging with the municipality to urgently find solutions to address the situation.
“We are, however, deeply concerned that the heavy rainstorms that are continuously battering parts of the province and causing massive damage to infrastructure, including that of water, have exacerbated the situation.
“eThekwini Metro is a Water Services Authority, mandated by the Constitution and designated to provide water services to its residents and we trust they should live up to their responsibility. We urge the municipality to act with urgency and decisively, even if it means they must work day and night to resolve the matter and ensure that services are fully restored to the communities affected,” said Mchunu.
He said the Department of Water and Sanitation together with uMngeni-uThukela Water are currently on standby to respond and assist on an urgent basis.
“As we speak, engineers and technicians from uMngeni-uThukeni, together with eThekwini, are working on site to identify and repair broken water infrastructure damaged by the recent floods. This process will continue until water is restored in all areas affected as a result of heavy rains.
“Being without water is a sensitive and emotional issue and we understand the anger and frustration. We apologise for the inconvenience and have instructed those dealing with work to do so with the urgency the matter requires,” Mchunu said.
DA provincial leader Francois Rodgers said the party had formally lodged an appeal to the SAHRC to urgently hold public hearings in the North of eThekwini and investigate the ongoing water crisis that has gripped communities in Phoenix, Tongaat, Durban North and KwaMashu.
“It is unthinkable that the community of Bester in KwaMashu has not had water for 14 years and Tongaat has not had water for 90 days. Phoenix continues to have daily water outages without explanation.
“It is the DA’s view that the ANC-EFF eThekwini Municipality is guilty of human rights violations for their failure to provide water to these residents as required in terms of Section 27 of the Bill of Rights,” said Rodgers.
He said the lack of water has led to “an explosion of protests in the last few days against the lack of water being provided”.
“The DA fully sympathises with residents who continue to suffer under this illegitimate government,” he added.
The Mercury