Plumbing contractors in eThekwini have warned they will escalate their protest action, including the possible shutdown of water supply, if the municipality fails to settle outstanding payments dating back to October last year.
The contractors, classified under categories A, B and C, staged a protest outside the Florence Mkhize Building, demanding urgent intervention from city officials. They claim the prolonged non-payment has left many in severe financial distress.
“We cannot continue working without being paid. If nothing changes, we will have no choice but to turn off the valves,” said one contractor, who asked to remain anonymous.
Another contractor described the toll the situation has taken, saying he nearly lost his vehicle due to missed payments. “We are forced to choose between paying our workers or meeting our personal financial obligations,” he said.
A representative speaking on behalf of the group said around 2,000 contractors across five depots have been affected. He accused the municipality of repeatedly delaying payments by raising administrative issues with submitted invoices.
“They keep changing requirements, saying invoices are missing details. Meanwhile, they continue assigning us work without paying for previous jobs,” he said.Following a meeting with eThekwini Water and Sanitation officials, it was agreed that 152 invoices would be processed.
However, contractors say this is only a small portion of an estimated backlog of up to 600 invoices.The group warned that without a long-term solution, disruptions to essential water services could soon follow.
Email : motshwari@onenews.co.za
