eThekwini Municipality manager, Musa Mbhele, is under fire over the city’s failure to fix water challenges. Picture: Supplied
Pressure is mounting on eThekwini Municipality manager Musa Mbhele to step down over the collapse of infrastructure and governance system in the city.
While the city manager is facing court challenge over his appointment to the position, the Democratic Alliance wants him to quit over the persisting water challenges that are currently bedevilling the city.
The DA accuses Mbhele of what it described as disastrous handling of the ongoing water supply crisis, which has left countless residents and businesses across the city without water for extended periods.
The party said Despite repeated assurances from Mbhele, the party stated that the situation on the ground continues to worsen, demonstrating his inability to address the city’s critical infrastructure issues effectively.
“The water supply crisis has caused significant disruptions to residents in areas across eThekwini. The city manager’s failure to manage this crisis and restore water supply has exposed his incompetence. The DA calls for immediate removal of Musa Mbhele to allow for new leadership capable of addressing eThekwini’s service delivery crises,” read the statement.
Outlining Mbhele’s failures, the DA said the persistent water supply disruptions highlight his failure to address long-standing issues. The mismanagement of critical infrastructure like the Prospecton pumps and many others is an example of his inability to ensure basic service delivery.
The party further accused him of causing confusion, poor communication, and a lack of timely action, saying residents were left without water for weeks, with no clear course of action or consistent updates.
“Given the persistent failures of leadership, the DA demands the immediate resignation or removal of Musa Mbhele as city manager. His incompetence has severely hindered the city’s ability to improve service delivery and address the basic needs of its residents.”
The city defended Mbhele, with the municipality’s political spokesperson Mluleki Mntungwa stating that last week, the mayor convened an urgent EXCO meeting where Mbhele and the Water and Sanitation team presented practical interventions to address the current situation, and all EXCO members, including those from the DA, were satisfied with the interventions and made additional inputs.
“We are puzzled as to what informs the latest call as the team is currently working diligently to implement the interventions adopted by EXCO,” said Mntungwa.
willem.phungula@inl.co.za