The Ekuvukeni Water Supply Project in KwaZulu-Natal's Alfred Duma Local Municipality has now officially been completed, bringing a significant boost in water access to communities in Wards 30 to 36. The handover ceremony, held 25 September 2025 at the Ekuvukeni Sportsfield, was presided over by the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Velenkosini Hlabisa. Invited guests included the KwaZulu-Natal CoGTA MEC Reverend Thulasizwe Buthelezi, the Mayor of Alfred Duma Municipality Zama Sibisi, the Mayor of uThukela District Municipality Inkosi Ntandoyenkosi Shabalala, as well as officials from the Department of Water and Sanitation, Umngeni-uThukela Water, local leadership, and MISA.

Speaking at the event, Hlabisa underscored that access to water is a constitutional right, referencing Section 27 of the Bill of Rights. He stated that this right is �not negotiable� and that government must deliver on it.

Infrastructure rollout & impact This project, funded through the Municipal Infrastructure Grant (MIG) and implemented by the Municipal Infrastructure Support Agent (MISA), reaches over 14,500 households, benefiting roughly 75,655 people. Among the completed works are:

� More than 1.5 km of bulk pipeline � 8.4 km of reticulation (distribution) pipelines � Installation of 52 valve chambers and 25 communal standpipes � Yard connections for multiple households � Partial refurbishment of the Oliphantskop Water Treatment Works and the Petronella Booster Pump Station � Construction of an 8 million-litre steel storage tank to boost capacity

Hlabisa also highlighted the socioeconomic dimensions: 32 local labourers (including youth and women) were employed, and eight local subcontractors, with contracts exceeding R6.1 million, were appointed through the Project Steering Committee. He reiterated that the project was more than infrastructure: it represented human dignity. He added that the improvements mean an elderly woman no longer must walk long distances for water; children now go to school in cleaner, healthier conditions.

Challenges & next steps

Despite the completion, Hlabisa acknowledged ongoing challenges: water losses from leaks and illegal connections, seasonal source water shortages, limited reservoir capacity, and a funding shortfall of about R18 million needed for full system stabilization. To confront these, stakeholders formalised a Section 63 intervention agreement on 19 August 2025.

Under that agreement, CoGTA, the Department of Water and Sanitation, Umngeni-uThukela Water, and uThukela District Municipality will entrust Umngeni-uThukela Water with managing district infrastructure for five years. Hlabisa urged communities to protect the newly installed infrastructure from vandalism, theft, and misuse, stating it was built for current residents and future generations.

He also congratulated Alfred Duma Municipality for being selected to receive the Intermediary Cities Grant under the Intermediate City Municipalities Programme, which will assist smaller urban areas with development, infrastructure, governance, and sustainable growth.