ActionSA Secures High Court Victory Against eThekwini Municipality Over Sewage Crisis
Press Statement by Cllr Zwakele Mncwango
ActionSA KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Chairperson
ActionSA welcomes the Pietermaritzburg High Court’s judgment delivered today, which ruled in favour of ActionSA’s legal action to hold the eThekwini Municipality accountable for the devastating sewage crisis.
According to the High Court, the eThekwini Metroplitan Municipality has defaulted on its Constitutional mandate to maintain water infrastructure to prevent the flow of untreated effluent into the environment. It has been instructed by the Court to publicly release weekly E.Coli readings, and to prepare an action plan which will see deadlines set for the repair of wastewater related infrastructure.
Today’s judgment marks an important victory for the residents of eThekwini, who have for years endured the severe consequences of a municipality that failed to act in their best interests.
ActionSA took up this fight on behalf of the residents of eThekwini to confront a municipality that was not only shockingly indifferent to the devastating consequences of the crisis, but also fundamentally failed to comply with its legal obligations to repair and upgrade the severely dilapidated sewer infrastructure at the centre of this disaster. This failure has had far-reaching consequences for the city, its economy and its people.
Today’s legal victory affirms that the action initiated by ActionSA in November 2022 was necessary to confront and bring an end to the municipality’s sustained violations of residents’ constitutionally enshrined rights to a safe and healthy environment, as well as their right to economic development.
ActionSA Secures High Court Victory Against eThekwini Municipality Over Sewage Crisis
ActionSA welcomes the Pietermaritzburg High Court’s judgment delivered today, which ruled in favour of ActionSA’s legal action to hold the eThekwini Municipality accountable for the devastating sewage crisis.
According to the High Court, the eThekwini Metroplitan Municipality has defaulted on its Constitutional mandate to maintain water infrastructure to prevent the flow of untreated effluent into the environment. It has been instructed by the Court to publicly release weekly E.Coli readings, and to prepare an action plan which will see deadlines set for the repair of wastewater related infrastructure.
Today’s judgment marks an important victory for the residents of eThekwini, who have for years endured the severe consequences of a municipality that failed to act in their best interests.
ActionSA took up this fight on behalf of the residents of eThekwini to confront a municipality that was not only shockingly indifferent to the devastating consequences of the crisis, but also fundamentally failed to comply with its legal obligations to repair and upgrade the severely dilapidated sewer infrastructure at the centre of this disaster. This failure has had far-reaching consequences for the city, its economy and its people.
Today’s legal victory affirms that the action initiated by ActionSA in November 2022 was necessary to confront and bring an end to the municipality’s sustained violations of residents’ constitutionally enshrined rights to a safe and healthy environment, as well as their right to economic development.