In an effort to respond speedily to the Durban water crisis, eThekwini Municipality has proposed the formation of a “tender committee” to deal exclusively with procurement issues for the Water and Sanitation Unit.
Speaking on discussions at an executive committee meeting on Monday, chairperson of the human settlement and infrastructure services committee, Themba Mvubu said city manager Musa Mbhele has been directed to set up a committee that will be dedicated to resolving procurement log jams for the unit.
The supply chain management (SCM) processes in eThekwini can take months or even a year to complete. They have been a source of complaints for many councillors in the past, including the mayor Mxolisi Kaunda.
With the City coming under intense pressure over water disruptions, procurement processes have once again been brought under the spotlight, with councillors saying these hamper the City’s ability to respond expeditiously.
During the exco meeting on Monday, councillors were briefed on the extent of the water crisis, and a report was tabled looking at the overall state of water supply in the municipality, the work being done to resolve the challenges and the progress on water projects that are under way.
Mvubu said that he had raised the issue of procurement processes.
“One of our big concerns has been the SCM processes. While councillors are not allowed to interfere with SCM processes, we are allowed to give advice.
“We have directed Mbhele to set up a committee, similar to the bid adjudication committee that will be dedicated to address the procurement of water-related (equipment) in order to ensure that we are able to respond speedily to water problems, we can all see that we have a serious crisis when it comes to water.
“It does not help that you have one committee that is responsible for all procurement and SCM tender processes for the whole city, one of our main problems is that the SCM processes take too long,” he said.
Mvubu said he was pleased by the report that was presented, saying it showed that there was forward movement in addressing some of the challenges.
DA councillor Yogis Govender said in as much as the report appeared detailed, it was not unlike previous reports promising speedy action and millions being ploughed into remedial measures.
“The water outages in various parts of the municipality will take years to rectify as, even in this report, goal posts are shifted for many years,” she said.
The report also detailed the city-wide water supply outages and progress on restoration. For instance, it said with the South Coast pipeline supplied areas, repairs to the pipeline have already been completed and supply restored in most areas with the exception of KwaMakhutha, parts of Athlone Park, Mfume and parts of Adams Mission.
The report said water challenges that are experienced in areas such as Phoenix and oThongathi, among others, are being attended to and they expect that the problems will be resolved between the end of this month and February 16.
In Ntuzuma, a project will commence on March 1 this year and in the Cato Ridge and KwaXimba demand now exceeds supply into the system and 50% of the area is getting piped water, while the rest is getting deliveries from water tankers.
Spokesperson for eThekwini mayor Mluleki Mntungwa described the issues of water supply as a priority for the municipality.
“The mayor has given a directive that the city manager should do all possible to address the water problem and that include the establishment of committees to fast-track the procurement issues, so that they do not delay implementation of projects.
“There are key projects like the Ntuzuma pump station and the southern aqueduct that once implemented will alleviate the water challenges significantly,” said Mntungwa, adding that the City wants contractors on site at these projects by March.
Meanwhile, the latest protest over water in Phoenix turned violent during clashes between the community and the police on Monday.
The community has accused the police of brutality and threatened to report them to the Independent Police Investigative Directorate and the SA Human Rights Commission.
Mervyn Reddy, one of the organisers of the protest, said it had been peaceful until the police arrived and started firing tear gas.
“We know that there are about seven people that were injured, one woman was shot in the face with a rubber bullet and was hospitalised,” said Reddy.
He said in another incident one person was hit with a police shield in the face and lost a tooth while another was assaulted during the arrest.
Police spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Nqobile Gwala said three suspects aged 24, 26 and 50 were arrested for public violence.
A 50-year-old man was also charged for unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition.
The Mercury