KZN Premier Ntuli unveils bold strategy to tackle the province's water crisis

Premier Thamsanqa Ntuli addresses the provincial water summit, outlining urgent measures to tackle water crisis in KwaZulu-Natal.

To address the ongoing water crisis, KwaZulu-Natal Premier Thamsanqa Ntuli has announced a comprehensive strategy focused on revitalising critical municipalities grappling with severe water-management challenges.

In closing the provincial water summit on Wednesday, Ntuli, effective immediately, instructed KZN Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA) MEC Reverend Thulasizwe Buthelezi to do the following:

Ntuli said that by September 30, 2026, the province will have placed dedicated water management teams, engineers, finance officers, and procurement specialists inside the critical municipalities (uMkhanyakude, uMzinyathi, and Zululand).

“These teams will not advise; they will have operational authority to fix non-revenue water and repair infrastructure. The municipalities’ CFOs (chief financial officers) will be jointly accountable and their mayors for every rand of water revenue,” Ntuli said.