The report was a result of a Town Hall meeting held by the SAHRC in March 2024, which brought together water experts to develop community-based solutions to the water crisis in eThekwini Metro. In a meeting between the Commission and the Office of the Mayor of eThekwini, held in August 2024 to discuss the outcomes of the report, the Mayor and the Head of Water and Sanitation in the Metro informed the SAHRC that they were in the advanced stages of implementing the solution of bringing retired engineers on board.

As the SAHRC, we are of the view that the step taken by the Metro to engage with retired engineers will not only boost the capacity of the Metro in addressing the water crisis, but also presents an opportunity for a process of skills transfer to occur, which will benefit the Metro in the long-term. Other solutions proposed by experts during the Town Hall meeting include: infrastructure investment, enhancing maintenance practices, effective implementation of the Metro’s 2023 Turnaround Strategy, and improvement of the Metro’s communication strategy to enhance transparency and responsiveness to residents.

In its 2023 KwaZulu-Natal Water Inquiry Report, the SAHRC found that Water Services Authorities face challenges such as insufficient skills and capacity, failure to maintain an up-to-date water services development plan, and inadequate infrastructure maintenance leading to decay and collapse.

The SAHRC is currently conducting visits to all districts in the province to monitor the implementation of its Water Inquiry Report (2023) and to assess the general state of human rights in each district.

ENDS

Issued by the South African Human Rights Commission

For further information or inquiries, please contact Wisani Baloyi, SAHRC Communications Coordinator on 081 016 8308 or  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..