ActionSA is deeply disturbed by reports that a group of heavily armed men allegedly blocked municipal workers from carrying out critical work at the Chatsworth 4 Reservoir.
These individuals are believed to be linked to the notorious water tanker mafia operating within the municipality.
It is a disgrace that criminal elements are allowed to operate with impunity, sabotaging efforts to restore water supply to communities – all for personal profit. These syndicates thrive on chaos, ensuring that residents remain dependent on outsourced water tanker services, from which they continue to benefit financially.
For over a year, the elhekwini Municipality has repeatedly claimed to have procured its own fleet of water tankers to eliminate reliance on private contractors and save public funds.
Yet, to date, the whereabouts of these so-called “purchased” vehicles remain unknown.
The lack of transparency raises serious questions about whether these tankers were ever acquired in the first place.
On 17mh April 2025, ActionSA wrote to the Chairperson of the Trading Services Committee, Mr. Mdu Nkosi, and the acting Deputy City Manager for Trading Services, Mr. Ednick Msweli, requesting a full report on the Municipality’s water tanker fleet to be tabled at the next committee meeting. Shockingly, neither responded to or acknowledged the letter.
This blatant disregard for accountability from municipal leaders – particularly the Chairperson of the Trading Services Committee – is unacceptable. Mr. Nkosi, as the political head of the committee, ought to be demanding answers from officials, not turning a blind eye to such a critical issue.
The water crisis in elhekwini is not merely a result of drought or aging infrastructure – it is a manmade disaster fuelled by political inaction, corruption, and collusion.
Residents are suffering because municipal leadership refuses to cut ties with exploitative contractors or take decisive legal action against the water tanker matia.
ActionSA Condemns Intimidation of Municipal Workers by Alleged Water Tanker Mafia at Chatsworth 4 Reservoir
ActionSA is deeply disturbed by reports that a group of heavily armed men allegedly blocked municipal workers from carrying out critical work at the Chatsworth 4 Reservoir.
These individuals are believed to be linked to the notorious water tanker mafia operating within the municipality.
It is a disgrace that criminal elements are allowed to operate with impunity, sabotaging efforts to restore water supply to communities – all for personal profit. These syndicates thrive on chaos, ensuring that residents remain dependent on outsourced water tanker services, from which they continue to benefit financially.
For over a year, the elhekwini Municipality has repeatedly claimed to have procured its own fleet of water tankers to eliminate reliance on private contractors and save public funds.
Yet, to date, the whereabouts of these so-called “purchased” vehicles remain unknown.
The lack of transparency raises serious questions about whether these tankers were ever acquired in the first place.
On 17mh April 2025, ActionSA wrote to the Chairperson of the Trading Services Committee, Mr. Mdu Nkosi, and the acting Deputy City Manager for Trading Services, Mr. Ednick Msweli, requesting a full report on the Municipality’s water tanker fleet to be tabled at the next committee meeting. Shockingly, neither responded to or acknowledged the letter.
This blatant disregard for accountability from municipal leaders – particularly the Chairperson of the Trading Services Committee – is unacceptable. Mr. Nkosi, as the political head of the committee, ought to be demanding answers from officials, not turning a blind eye to such a critical issue.
The water crisis in elhekwini is not merely a result of drought or aging infrastructure – it is a manmade disaster fuelled by political inaction, corruption, and collusion.
Residents are suffering because municipal leadership refuses to cut ties with exploitative contractors or take decisive legal action against the water tanker matia.