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Upon completing our site inspection at the eMobeni Heights Cemetery after receiving numerous requests for intervention from social media users, where a sewage pipe had burst, causing immense damage to multiple graves.

We are concerned that the spillage has continued unabated for over 6 months and has been reported to authorities to no avail. 

Most shockingly, the family alleges that after reporting the matter and demanding for the pipe to be fixed, they were ultimately blocked on WhatsApp by officials at the cemetery, and refused to give her reference number for the escalations they have supposedly made to the Water & Sanitation unit on the family's behalf. 

We have engaged and written to the Municipality's Water & Sanitation Unit Head, Mr Ednick Msweli, requesting an immediate investigation into this matter, to determine how grave sites were assigned to multiple family members, when there is a sewage pipe in the area; which of the Municipal employees between those at the cemetery and the Water & Sanitation unit failed to act within their responsibility to ensure that the damage is reported so repairs could be done.

In our engagement with Mr Msweli, he assured us that he would personally go to the cemetery to assess the situation. 

Be that as it may, someone needs to be held accountable for this lack of action, and for causing grievance for family members. There, therefore, have to be serious consequences taken against city officials who have failed to give effect to their duties. 

Leading up to our litigation against the Municipality for the failure to repair sewer infrastructure, we have conducted our first leg of site inspections in Northern eThekwini, whilst the second leg of inspections will be conducted in due course. 

Unfortunately, Municipal leadership have attempted to conceal the true nature of the state of sewage infrastructure in the city, however, we will not tire of revealing its  true state. 

Issued by ActionSA KZN Provincial Chairperson Zwakele Mncwango