LISTEN: eThekwini Speaker blames unplanned development for Adams Mission water crisis
Updated Aug. 4, 2026, 4:48 p.m. | By Nhlanhla Mabaso The comments follow the death of a 38-year-old resident who was struck by a municipal water tanker…
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Updated Aug. 4, 2026, 4:48 p.m. | By Nhlanhla Mabaso
The comments follow the death of a 38-year-old resident who was struck by a municipal water tanker while the community relied on water deliveries.
The Speaker of the eThekwini Council has acknowledged the water supply challenges in Adams Mission, where a man died after being run over by a water tanker.
But Thabani Nyawose says the situation has been caused by, among other things, the indiscriminate building of houses without approved plans.
Local resident Celani Zungu was hit by a municipal water truck on Sunday afternoon.
The 38-year-old died in the hospital from his injuries.
Investigations are underway to determine the circumstances that led to the tragedy. Police have opened a culpable homicide case.
Nyawose spoke to Newswatch about what he believes could have led to the events that unfolded on Sunday.
He says Adams Mission is forced to rely on the water tanker service due to the rapid development in the area.
“Secondly, people in this area, as you can see, just build houses in an unplanned way without involving our planning department, without involving the municipality. This is a rural area under Inkosi Makhanya, managed by izinduna. Now, when these people were allocated sites, this area was supplied with water because they were a small population.
“But when this rapid urbanisation and unplanned development affected our system. Currently, the system is collapsed.”
Nyawose says the municipality is working on the Southern Aqueduct, which will improve the piped water supply to areas south of Durban, including Adams Mission.
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