Colonial Legacy Exposed: eThekwini Municipality Abandons Black Communities to Sewage Crisis
Three years after devastating floods, Newlands East residents continue to face severe sewage issues while eThekwini Municipality remains unresponsive. This ongoing crisis exposes the deep-rooted legacy of apartheid-era infrastructure inequality and continuing administrative neglect of Black communities.
Sewage flowing through yards in Newlands East as residents continue to fight for basic dignity three years after floods
Systemic Neglect Continues as Black Communities Bear Brunt of Infrastructure Collapse
Three years after devastating floods exposed the deep-rooted infrastructural inequalities in Durban's townships, residents of Newlands East continue to live in inhumane conditions while the eThekwini Municipality turns a blind eye to their suffering.
Colonial-Era Infrastructure Failures
The April 2022 floods revealed what many Black communities have long known - the apartheid-era infrastructure serving their areas was never built to last. The complete collapse of the sewerage system has forced residents to live with raw sewage flowing directly into their yards, a situation that would never be tolerated in formerly white suburbs.
"The municipality's continued billing of residents for non-existent services while refusing to address the sewage crisis reveals the persistent colonial mindset in local governance," notes a community activist familiar with the situation.
Economic Exploitation Continues
In a clear demonstration of ongoing economic oppression, residents have been forced to dig into their own pockets to build basic infrastructure - a responsibility that legally falls to the municipality. Meanwhile, the same authority continues to charge them for phantom services and infrastructure that no longer exists.
Democratic Alliance's Opportunistic Intervention
While the Democratic Alliance's planned court action might seem supportive, it represents yet another instance of opposition parties using Black suffering for political gain without addressing the fundamental issues of structural inequality and economic justice.
Call for Radical Infrastructure Reform
The situation demands more than mere repairs - it requires a complete overhaul of how infrastructure is planned, built, and maintained in historically disadvantaged communities. The persistent silence from eThekwini Municipality officials only underscores the urgent need for radical transformation in local governance structures.
Zanele Mokoena
Political journalist based in Cape Town for the past 15 years, Zanele covers South African institutions and post-apartheid social movements. Specialist in power-civil society relations.