KZN municipalities: Total infrastructure collapse looming as province sits with a R10.8 billion backlog
22 March 2021
The Democratic Alliance (DA) in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) has established that the province needs a staggering R10.8 billion to address infrastructure backlogs within its municipalities – a figure that does not include bulk water, sanitation or electricity interventions or maintenance of municipal roads.
The information is revealed in a written parliamentary reply by KZN CoGTA MEC, Sipho Hlomuka, to questions by the DA. (view here and here)
According to the reply, the break-down for KZN backlogs also includes the following;
- Sanitation: R2 788 686 860
- Water: R3 982 685 675
- Electricity: R659 746 770 (this excludes Eskom supplied areas, Msunduzi and eThekwini)
The DA is deeply concerned by these figures. Equally alarming is that, in addition to the R10.8 billion, the province’s ANC-run government also requires capital to the tune of R100billion to implement its water master plan and deal with the still incomplete electricity master plan.
At this rate and with the current policies in place, the DA is very worried that there will soon be a total infrastructure collapse in many municipalities across KZN.
The question is – where will the ANC find the money to prevent this when it insists on pursuing destructive economic and governance policies? Not to mention the R1.5billion already lost on its watch as a result of looting and theft over the years.
The harsh reality is that with budget cuts and a shrinking tax base, along with government’s insistence on hanging on to failed policies, the funds needed are unlikely to materialize any time soon. This while almost all KZN municipalities are struggling to keep the lights on, water flowing out of taps and sewage out of the streets.
The biggest contributors to the failure of basic infrastructure in our province are a lack of capacity due to cadre deployment, financial mismanagement, and under-expenditure on maintenance. The result is a decline in municipalities which directly contributes to lack of investment, economic growth and access to opportunities. This in turn increase poverty, inequality and unemployment.
Government needs to focus on infrastructure in order to ensure that our urban and rural areas are able to develop economically and allow for sustainable human settlement. Not only will the improved infrastructure create engines of job creation and investment once completed but, the infrastructure development process itself will support local businesses and create local jobs.
In addition, government must cut the bloated wage bill, reprioritise funds away from wasteful exercises and crack down on local government corruption and incapacity.
The people of KZN deserve to live in a province where water is easily accessible, where there is electricity in every home and where sewage is treated and properly disposed of. They deserve to live in an environment where functional municipal infrastructure supports job creation in safe liveable communities.
This is the vision that the DA has for our villages, towns and cities and one which remain committed to fighting for on behalf of the citizens of KZN.
Issued by Chris Pappas, DA KZN Spokesperson on CoGTA, 22 March 2021
