Strong on paper.
Still recovering
on the ground.

eThekwini is home to one of South Africa's largest metropolitan populations and is responsible for delivering essential services across Durban and the surrounding region, from Umlazi and Inanda to Pinetown, KwaMashu and the south coast. While the municipality has maintained relatively strong financial reporting in recent years, many residents and businesses continue to face significant service-delivery challenges. Frequently reported concerns include prolonged water supply interruptions, recurring electricity outages, sewer spills, deteriorating roads, stormwater drainage problems, refuse-collection disruptions in some areas and delays in repairing municipal infrastructure. Ageing infrastructure, the lasting impact of the 2022 floods, rapid urban growth, maintenance backlogs and vandalism have placed considerable pressure on the City's ability to provide reliable services. Residents often express frustration with slow response times to reported faults, inconsistent communication during interruptions and limited visibility into the progress of service requests. Water security remains a major concern in many communities, with oversight reports highlighting high water losses caused by ageing infrastructure, leaks and illegal connections. Auditor-General oversight has identified recurring weaknesses in infrastructure planning, project management, procurement oversight, contractor performance and consequence management , indicating that while the municipality has maintained an unqualified audit opinion, governance and operational shortcomings continue to affect the timely delivery of infrastructure projects and essential municipal services.