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Last month, a 26-year-old woman died after driving into a bridge that collapsed during the April 2022 floods. This unfortunate incident was a result of the road not being barricaded, pointing to extreme negligence by the eThekwini Municipality, which to date has not been held accountable.

This past weekend, at least two accidents took place on Umbilo and Ridge road. The accidents were caused by a lack of warnings and barricades on roads undergoing repairs.

Of late, a number of vehicles have driven into huge holes resulting from excavation work done to repair burst pipes as well as flood damaged pipelines. The continued threat to life and to the city's economy can no longer be tolerated.

The DA in eThekwini will conduct oversight visits to various areas where there has been no maintenance, no completion of repairs, or damage to roads caused by floods to identify problem areas and force the municipality to expedite repairs.

This will tie into the monitoring of the R1.2 billion given to the municipality for flood damage.

Despite the floods taking place a year ago and reports made by councillors and residents in affected areas, the municipality has yet to compile a conclusive report of all the damage and a structured plan highlighting the estimated repair times.

With the 2024 elections around the corner, residents of eThekwini have the power to turnaround our failing municipality.

Issued by Riona Gokool - DA eThekwini Councillor