The eThekwini Municipality has invested approximately 345 million rand in its own fleet of water tankers, ending the outsourcing of this service. Currently, 318 such tankers operate in the city, with plans to add another 43 units by the end of the year, bringing the total fleet to 361.
The municipality stated that this move is aimed at strengthening internal capabilities to respond to water shortages, especially in areas with limited water infrastructure.
Municipality transitions water tanker services to in-house management
eThekwini Mayor, Cyril Shabha, announced that the decision to transition to in-house management was made following concerns about the amount spent on outsourcing. He also noted that this will help the municipality investigate alleged irregularities related to the outsourced service and improve its response to the needs of communities experiencing water scarcity.
Shabha emphasized that the tankers are used as a temporary measure for communities while the city continues to modernize infrastructure and increase water supply across eThekwini. He added: 'After realizing that the Municipality was spending significant funds on outsourcing this service, we decided to purchase our own fleet and hire additional drivers to ensure efficient operation. This has also helped us stop improper activities related to the outsourcing of this service, following allegations of manipulation of our water infrastructure.'
According to Shabha, the expanded fleet will enhance the municipality's ability to provide essential services and reduce response times when water shortages occur in communities.
This announcement came amid criticism from the Democratic Alliance party, which pointed to increasing water losses and rising costs for water tankers.
DA expresses concern over water losses
The DA candidate for eThekwini mayor, Hanif Huizen, stated that by June 2026, the city was losing about 65% of its water, compared to 48.9% in 2021. He also claimed that the cost of water tankers increased from 102.6 million rand to 814.8 million rand.
Huizen suggested that the city's water problems indicate the inability of the ANC-led administration to maintain and improve the municipality's water infrastructure. Furthermore, the DA called for the removal of the Municipal Head of Water Resources and Sanitation, Ednik Msveli, insisting on a proper report on the department's performance.