Mere days after the KwaZulu-Natal Treasury Department terminated significant grant funding to the Newcastle Municipality, the local government states that it remains steadfast in its mission to advance development across Newcastle and resolve critical service delivery challenges. Chief among these are persistent water and sanitation issues, with ruptured pipes causing widespread leaks and untreated sewage flow becoming routine.
On Tuesday, 8 April 2025, the Newcastle Municipality initiated a response to community concerns over water and sewage services.
The effort targets key priorities, including:
· Water Leaks and Pipe Bursts: Locating and repairing leaks and bursts to minimize water loss and maintain supply.
· Access to Clean Water: Ensuring all communities receive safe drinking water.
· Dry Taps: Addressing tap failures to restore reliable household water access.
· Sanitation Services: Upgrading sanitation systems by fixing water and toilet issues, adding new pumps, and monitoring pump performance.
Complaints received via the municipality’s call centre and ward councillors underscored the urgency of these improvements. Taking this to mind, the program was officially launched in wards 18, 32, 23, 11, and 9, focusing on specific problems:
· Leaks and blockages
· Inoperable public toilets
· Stormwater drains impacting residents
· Malfunctioning water meters
· Water pipe ruptures
· Communities lacking water access
· Non-functional pump networks
“To address these concerns, the municipality through its technical team led by Director for Water and Sewage, Zama Ntombela has taken proactive steps to fix these issues. The initiative will be expanded to all wards in the coming days, ensuring that every community has access to clean and safe drinking water, as well as reliable sanitation services,” stated the Municipality’s Communications Unit.
Simultaneously, the Newcastle Municipality has embarked on an effort to enhance community-driven governance through ward committee engagement sessions.
Held at the Newcastle Farmers Hall on Wednesday, 9 April 2025, these sessions, according to the Communications Unit, seek to strengthen community involvement and tackle ward-level service delivery obstacles. “The municipality recognises the pivotal role ward committees play in fast-tracking service delivery as they serve as the primary link between the community and the municipality, ensuring that residents voices are heard,” the Unit explained.
Speaker of the Newcastle Municipal Council Cllr Thengi Zulu noted that these sessions are part of a wider strategy to reinforce governance, offering a forum to address challenges that impede effective service to residents. A parallel objective is to enable leadership to identify and respond to ward-specific issues, feeding into the mayoral intervention program, which began yesterday. This program entails municipal visits to every ward to address service delivery concerns firsthand.
“Our goal is to foster a meaningful engagement, therefore ward committees provide a platform for community members to express their needs, concerns, and priorities regarding municipal services and development projects,” affirmed Newcastle Mayor, Councillor Xolani Dube.
Ward committees highlighted critical issues, including delays in resolving service complaints, poor road conditions, limited access to basic services, insufficient resources, aging infrastructure, and the need for improved coordination across municipal departments.
The Communications Unit outlined the initiative’s core objectives:
· Enhance Reporting: Refining mechanisms to ensure prompt attention to community concerns.
· Monitoring Progress: Tracking municipal project outcomes to meet community needs.
· Working in Unison: Encouraging collaboration among ward committees, councillors, and the municipality to improve service delivery.
· Improve Service Delivery: Resolving key issues like road maintenance, access to services, and infrastructure upgrades.
“The municipality is committed to strengthening relationships with all stakeholders, including traditional leaders, to promote collaborative problem-solving. The mayor also urged ward committees to work tirelessly alongside their ward councillor to ensure timely service delivery for the betterment of Newcastle and its residents,” the Communications Unit asserted.
Furthermore, the Mayor reiterated his commitment to addressing these concerns, emphasising the value of strong partnerships with ward committees through clear communication, active engagement, and joint efforts to meet community demands efficiently.
As per the goverment entity, in the wake of the KwaZulu-Natal Treasury’s funding cuts, the Newcastle Municipality’s dual initiatives—launched on 8 and 9 April 2025—signal a commitment to tackling entrenched service delivery challenges and empowering community voices. The water and sanitation program, targeting leaks, dry taps, and failing infrastructure, underscores a pragmatic push to restore essential services and ensure access to clean water and reliable sanitation for all residents.
Simultaneously, the ward committee engagement sessions reflect a strategic effort to bolster governance by bridging the gap between the municipality and its people, addressing issues like poor roads and aging systems through collaboration. Together, these efforts mean more than incremental fixes; they represent a step toward accountability, responsiveness, and sustainable development, aiming to transform Newcastle into a municipality where resident needs drive progress.
What are your thoughts on the above? Share your views in the comment section below.
Comments 6
The municipality is well aware of the problems faced by the community for many years now. Now suddenly when infrastructure has collapsed the mayor wakes up from his slumber. Very little maintenance has been done and most repairs are patch-up jobs. Most of the roads need resurfacing but the plaintive cry is always there is no money. Why has the municipality allowed the situation to deteriorate over the years?With the LGE coming up in 2026 I think that this is just a PR exercise. Action speaks louder than words.
We appreciate the efforts made by the Newcastle municipality wherever they have done work. My main concern is also the ridiculous delays in responding to water leaks in Ngagane or is it because we don’t have a Councillor or we don’t matter.
Ppsh this is a PR stunt we have been facing problems here in Newcastle like electricity since December the transformer blew and we have been powerless since then. The mayor doesn’t care about us our roads have potholes everywhere you just can’t escape them in anyway the city is dirty like hell mind you Newcastle was the cleanest in the country everything is collapsing here!!!
Our main roads are not being attended seriously. They are closing some pothol but partially. Allen street got big potholes next to the mall. Days now not attended. This road from N11 to Theku mall especially at the robots causing a very serious unnecessary delay of traffic. Especially at 9miles. Please
If this programs like such was programs that was started maybe three years back,as their promise to provide proper Services Delivery equally when they take power in Newcastle,It shouldn’t be such mass in town & locations.
Now people are getting out of their comfort zone & aircon because this year / mouths left we are going to local government elections. “I can say this programs are good but in other way around it’s a way of canvassing votes & it to late because people are not fool’s.U act like that when u needs vote but during yr nice times “Cllrs, Mayor, Speaker, Officials are no where to be found.
This is a political strategy to target 15 Wards in order to come back into power “that means u manipulate people…but surely 2026 is around people of Newcastle the are not fool’s, they will show u flames,they did that before, the can also did that now…by eating food parcels,take what the want from you & vote under wise in ballots, that their democratic rights any way.
Also what is also frustrating is,..”Why most of Wards you go around are for CLLrs of IFP & those u think u may won, People are not fool’s again they see you.bring service delivery to all Cllrs equally,if we may ask!!!.. Automatically there’s no difference between previous administration & now?… instead it’s worse now Newcastle there’s very little of change as promised.
But high in doing Corruption by Administration, Officials are Captured and Napotism they did it directly when it comes to job opportunity to the society of Newcastle…it that what you promise people?… That a big No!!!…
Im not apologetic about what I said “it a sad truth,of which it my right as a citizen of Newcastle to raise my voice for voiceless people but surely people they know what to do 🙌
If this programs like such was programs that was started maybe three years back,as their promise to provide proper Services Delivery equally when they take power in Newcastle,It shouldn’t be such mass in town & locations.
Now people are getting out of their comfort zone & aircon because this year / mouths left we are going to local government elections. “I can say this programs are good but in other way around it’s a way of canvassing votes & it to late because people are not fool’s.U act like that when u needs vote but during yr nice times “Cllrs, Mayor, Speaker, Officials are no where to be found.
This is a political strategy to target 15 Wards in order to come back into power “that means u manipulate people…but surely 2026 is around people of Newcastle the are not fool’s, they will show u flames,they did that before, the can also did that now…by eating food parcels,take what the want from you & vote under wise in ballots, that their democratic rights any way.
Also what is also frustrating is,..”Why most of Wards you go around are for CLLrs of IFP & those u think u may won, People are not fool’s again they see you.bring service delivery to all Cllrs equally,if we may ask!!!.. Automatically there’s no difference between previous administration & now?… instead it’s worse now Newcastle there’s very little of change as promised.
But high in doing Corruption by Administration, Officials are Captured and Napotism they did it directly when it comes to job opportunity to the society of Newcastle…it that what you promise people?… That a big No!!!…
Im not apologetic about what I said “it a sad truth,of which it my right as a citizen of Newcastle to raise my voice for voiceless people but surely people they know what to do 🙌