An intense heatwave coupled with water outages across Newcastle and its neighbouring towns, such as Dannhauser and Utrecht, made December 2024 a challenging period for several communities and local government departments. This crisis, which erupted at the onset of the festive season, necessitated urgent action to mitigate the water shortage.
In response to these widespread effects, significant steps are now being taken to address the critical issues and to prevent similar incidents in the future.
This initiative was highlighted at the Amajuba District Water Summit 2025, officially launched on Friday, 10 January 2025.
The summit brought together representatives from the Amajuba District Municipality, its subsidiary municipalities including Newcastle, eMadlangeni, and Dannhauser, along with key government departments like uThukela Water and the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA).
The purpose of the Summit, as articulated by Acting Municipality Manager Thulani Dube, is to tackle the pressing water and sanitation challenges confronting the district and the nation at large. The focus is on collaborative problem-solving and devising innovative strategies for sustainable solutions.
“We need to accelerate the implementation of Sustainable Development Goal number 6 of the United Nations, which is about ensuring that everyone has access to safe water and sanitation. This goal aims to guarantee affordable and equitable access to water, particularly for vulnerable groups like women and children. This summit is designed to foster connections and address water challenges and pollution, ensuring the water we provide is of high quality and regularly tested,” Dube emphasised.
He further highlighted the importance of climate monitoring for proactive planning, reinforcing financial resources, and enhancing relationships with the private sector to secure additional resources for water infrastructure and future sustainability.
Dube also addressed the assembly, advocating for governance deeply rooted in the community’s tangible needs. He stressed the necessity of aligning municipal strategies with the practical realities faced by residents, ensuring decisions at all levels yield meaningful outcomes.
The summit’s launch was bolstered by the support of the Chairperson of SALGA KZN and the Mayor of Newcastle Local Municipality, Cllr Xolani Dube. In his opening remarks, Cllr Dube called for a paradigm shift in addressing water-related issues, pushing for the swift translation of leadership decisions into actionable steps. He urged municipal officials to implement strategies that would deliver enduring improvements to residents’ lives, paving the way for a more sustainable and equitable water future.
“A summit of this nature requires participants who are deeply passionate, not just attendees for attendance’s sake. We need individuals who grasp the challenges ahead, driven not just by salaries but by a genuine will to overcome these challenges,” Cllr Dube stated, noting that many issues stem from municipal officials lacking the commitment to serve the community effectively.
In his address, Acting Amajuba District Mayor Cllr Thembilihle Mthembu outlined a series of practical interventions currently in action, including the redeployment of previously unused water tankers and the completion of essential reticulation repairs.
Cllr Mthembu further elaborated on long-term strategies to tackle ongoing water challenges, emphasising the need for significant infrastructure investment, reduction in water losses, promotion of water conservation, and the exploration of alternative water sources like boreholes and rainwater harvesting.
The summit was enriched by contributions from key representatives of the Department of Mineral Resources and CoGTA, underscoring the importance of coordinated efforts across national, provincial, and local governance levels. Their involvement highlighted the need for a unified approach to address systemic inefficiencies in the water sector, especially in integrating reticulation systems with bulk water infrastructure for more resilient and sustainable outcomes.
The second segment of the program featured insightful presentations from UThukela Water on water provision, Newcastle Local Municipality on water and sanitation interventions, and Amajuba District Municipality on its ongoing efforts in this crucial sector, including managing water scarcity and loss.
Stakeholders engaged in thought-provoking discussions, aiming to formulate practical solutions and actionable strategies that would not only resolve immediate water challenges but also ensure long-term sustainability. These discussions underscored the value of collaboration, innovation, and a shared vision in transforming the water landscape of the district.
In conclusion, the Amajuba District Water Summit 2025 marked a pivotal moment in the collective effort towards achieving sustainable and equitable water access for all. The decisive actions and strategies discussed are expected to foster lasting change, empower communities, and meet the district’s water challenges with resilience and foresight. This summit not only signifies a milestone in water governance but also reaffirms the commitment to a future where clean, reliable water access is universally realized.
Reflecting on the above, what are your thoughts on the Amajuba District Water Summit 2025? Share your views in the comment section below.
Comments 4
What plans srategy, and resources was put in place ? Or was this just another meeting with no deliverables and acountability ?
Another one filled with big words and predictions with no solution and dates mentioned. Why was the public not notified of this as early as the beginning of December as they already knew what the problem was? Right now, it has been raining not only in Newcastle for almost a week yet still no mention of this in the summit, but we also only hear about global warming instead of possible solutions. Cllr Mthembu mentioned the use of water tankers, when are they in use because I have not seen one in my area form December? The whole summit is just futile public relations aimed at deceiving the public even further. If it is not load reduction then its water, there has to be something not properly supplied at any given time, Cry the beloved country.
As municipality can you please attend to illegal dumpings before the community gets sick our beautiful town is deteriorating in terms of cleanliness Thank You
I wish you could have invited the the public at large to the summit. There are many people in the district who have qualifications in water management. I believe such people can add value to such summits. It’s quite disturbing to sewage water flowing into the rivers for years yet there are people who attended such a summit.