Note to editors: Please find attached soundbite by Haniff Hoosen, DA eThekwini Mayoral Candidate.
The DA has won again in the fight for better sewerage services for eThekwini, with the Municipality’s attempt to overturn the landmark court judgment brought by the DA dismissed (view here).
This is a victory for eThekwini residents who deserve functioning sewer infrastructure, clean rivers and safe beaches. The DA took eThekwini to court because residents should not have to live with sewage flowing into their communities, rivers and the ocean. Today, eThekwini has lost its appeal.
The ANC-IFP-EFF-led administration had a choice. Get to work allocating funding to fix broken sewage infrastructure or spend millions to fight the ruling to protect incompetence. It chose to fight and spend money instead of fixing the problem.
The unholy governing alliance fought the DA in court when they should have been fighting sewage in our streets, rivers, and beaches.
The December ruling required the Municipality to repair and maintain sewer infrastructure, publish weekly beach E. coli results and warn communities about pollution hazards. These are basic responsibilities that a functioning municipality should fulfil without residents having to seek a court order. It unthinkable that they did not want to comply with this and now a full bench of the High Court as expressly said there is no prospects that another court would agree that they shouldn’t do this.
While communities endure sewage overflows, businesses and tourism suffer and our beaches are repeatedly threatened by pollution, those responsible remain comfortably in office. The political leadership closes ranks around failure while residents carry its consequences.
An administration that fights accountability harder than it fights sewage pollution has lost sight of the people it serves.
Under the ANC, IFP and EFF, eThekwini is being allowed to deteriorate under leaders whose actions show contempt for residents’ dignity, livelihoods, and health. Protecting one another will not repair a sewer, clean a river, or restore a safe beach.
The DA demands immediate implementation of the court order, a public repair timetable and full disclosure of the legal costs incurred in challenging the ruling. We will continue to hold the Municipality accountable until residents see measurable progress.
The people of eThekwini should never have to fight this hard for a city that is safe and clean.
On 4 November, vote DA to end this failure and get eThekwini working for all.