Ageing infrastructure within Newcastle is officially set to be addressed, with issues such as burst pipes and sewage leaks destined to become a thing of the distant past. This development follows the Amajuba District Municipality stating that it has embarked on a mission to eradicate these problems that affect many people within the district.

It should be highlighted that the Amajuba District Municipality oversees the Newcastle, eMadlangeni, and Dannhauser Municipalities.
Reflecting on the current state of affairs, the Amajuba District Municipality’s Integrated Development Plan (IDP) has highlighted that historic under-investment in basic infrastructure—such as roads, transportation, water provision, and sanitation—has undermined the growth potential of KwaZulu-Natal.
“In line with national government policy, public sector investment in infrastructure is seen as key to building the overall levels of investment in fixed assets, which is central to achieving growth and development targets. The need is therefore to invest in infrastructure in order to stimulate and sustain growth and development, and this includes both operational infrastructure (water, sanitation, roads, etc.) and connectivity (information technology, mobility) infrastructure,” the District Municipality explained in its IDP.
The Newcastle and Amajuba municipalities are both Water Services Authorities (WSAs), with Amajuba serving eMadlangeni (Utrecht) and Dannhauser municipal areas, and Newcastle being responsible for its own municipal area. To ensure improvement in water service delivery, the Amajuba District Municipality has stated it is working on eradicating ageing water infrastructure.
“We have developed the Operation and Maintenance Plan for Water Infrastructures. This Plan is being implemented and will be reviewed as and when deemed necessary by the Council of the ADM and as per legislative requirements,” explained the District Municipality’s IDP.
Based on the 2016 Stats SA Community Survey, the following details have emerged from numerous projects underway within the Amajuba District Municipality:
- 11632 households have piped water supply either inside the home or on site.
- 17 % of households rely on communal standpipes.
- 7, 9% of households are reliant on boreholes or springs as opposed to the previous and are reliant on other water sources. The quality of the water obtained from these sources is unknown and cannot be guaranteed, thus possibly leading to health problems.
According to the District Municipality’s IDP, based on the COGTA KZN Ward Level Water Status Quo Report from February 2021, the Amajuba District Municipality houses a total of 182,454 households.
Overall, most of the households (82.2%) in the Amajuba Local Municipality have access to water. Of these households, 40.5% have access through yard connections. A minority of households (17.8%) do not have access to infrastructure water, with 6.2% of these households lacking infrastructure due to dysfunctional infrastructure, while the rest (11.2%) have no infrastructure in their communities.
With the District Municipality now focusing on replacing ageing infrastructure and addressing water-related issues, Newcastle Municipality’s Cllr Faizel Cassim noted that the Newcastle Municipality was currently working on resolving ageing infrastructure issues.
“The Newcastle Municipality is currently focusing on strategic points and the most problematic areas due to the Municipality’s finances,” noted Cllr Cassim. However, he stressed that as the majority of the infrastructure is aged and has lived out its lifespan, the municipality is aiming to replace the infrastructure as the necessary funding is secured.
Furthermore, he highlighted that the Municipality’s mission to replace ageing infrastructure extends beyond mere water infrastructure. “We are also handling the issue of sewage, in terms of replacing problematic lines. Over a year ago, Newcastle was floating in sewage, but if observant residents will have noticed, the situation has changed with some of the pipework already replaced and sewer pumps repaired. This gives a positive outlook on the sewage issues so far,” explained Cllr Cassim.
With the District Municipality and the Newcastle Municipality focusing on replacing ageing infrastructure for water services, Cllr Cassim highlighted that it was important to remember that when the new administration began in 2021, it was a known fact that it would not be an easy task to get Newcastle functional to everyone’s satisfaction due to available finances. However, he noted, “With time, we will work to see that Newcastle is better than its former glory days.”

As outdated infrastructure is set to become a thing of the past, what are your thoughts on these developments? Share your views in the comment section below.
Comments 1
Hi there Im staying at7President street Utrecht my bill of water is too high please gays help me