A massive water leak discovered recently on the outskirts of Despatch, near Nelson Mandela Bay. Just days before, municipal contractors had worked on the same pipeline. It is unclear when the pipeline started leaking and how much water was wAsted, but parts of Despatch were left with dry taps shortly thereafter. (Photo: Supplied) When heavy rains wreaked havoc in communities earlier this month, the potential upside of the flooding was that all dams supplying Nelson Mandela Bay metro would be full and all taps would have running water.
However, while all local dams have been confirmed to have reached and, in some cases, surpassed their water storage capacity, councillors in the metro are concerned that the water will be drained out by leaks in the city’s dilapidated pipelines.
The City is struggling to repair about 7,000 active water leaks, because it does not have the resources to repair 4,700km of decaying pipelines across the metro.
On 21 May 2026, Nelson Mandela Bay’s executive director for infrastructure and engineering, Joseph Tsatsire, told councillors that the failure to set aside sufficient budget to deal with the issues plaguing the department was a major setback.
/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/NMB-water_3.jpg "Nelson Mandela Bay’s executive director for infrastructure and engineering, Joseph Tsatsire. (Photo: Deon Ferreira)")
“The water losses issue has been raised in this committee several times and again; it’s a problem that requires the institution to resource some of the operations for us to be able to deliver.”
He said for the directorate to respond as per the city’s consumer charter, it required assistance from the city through the committee.
“Some time ago, a water loss strategy to deal with non-revenue water which was also costed to the tune of R1.3-billion was brought to this committee. One of the difficulties that we face in terms of this response strategy is that there hasn’t been a meaningful budget [...] set aside to deal with the issues.
“The use of external contractors is the last resort. We would like to resource the organisation so that we’re able to respond to water leaks ourselves. A meaningful discussion around the budget is going to be required in resourcing the department in order to respond to leaks.”
“The precarious position of council in terms of resourcing is dire; we have three contractors that have been appointed but I can tell you I might not be able to provide them with orders for them to do the work.”
Tsatsire said three contractors have been appointed to deal with the leaks, but they are unable to start work owing to internal issues.
Maintenance budget ‘won’t last the year’
“As we sit here currently there are approximately 7,000 leaks out there, but we don’t have a maintenance budget that will last until the end of the financial year. The precarious position of council in terms of resourcing is dire; we have three contractors that have been appointed but I can tell you I might not be able to provide them with orders for them to do the work.”
Tsatsire said the maintenance budget is already being depleted and will not last until the end of the current financial year.
The infrastructure and engineering directorate has an operational budget of R3.4-million, with R370,000 set aside for repairs and maintenance.
Of the total budget, only 27% has been spent, with 62% spent from the maintenance budget.
/file/attachments/orphans/WhatsApp-Image-2026-01-18-at-1330_737822.jpg "A water leak that was reported in Nelson Mandela Bay in November 2025 was fixed only on 6 January. (Photo: Facebook)")
Infrastructure expenditure concerns
African National Congress councillor Gamalihleli Maqula said he struggled to understand the need for resourcing when the directorate was failing to spend what had already been allocated to it.
“The people out there know we have lost money to the national fiscus because of minimal expenditure. Even when we try to explain that the grants we forfeited funding from are not for this, all they know is that we did not spend what was given to us. So it baffles me that he says we need more resources.”
Democratic Alliance (DA) councillor Masixole Zinto echoed Maqula, emphasising the delays in spending the operational budget.
/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/NMB-water_5.jpg "DA councillor Masixole Zinto. (Photo: Deon Ferreira)")
“I like that you raised that the committee must assist you, but when our operational budget is sitting at 27% expenditure what should be done,” Zinto inquired.
“You have probably broken the record in this financial year for the number of budget adjustments that have been done.”
“How do we lobby for you to get more money when you can’t spend what we already have. All we do in this department are virements and adjustments; you have probably broken the record in this financial year for the number of budget adjustments that have been done. Every time we go to council there’s an adjustment from this directorate, so I’m a bit confused.”
Good party councillor Lawrence Troon said a private company had offered to assist the city in addressing its water leaks, but was turned away.
/file/attachments/orphans/LawrenceTroon_804254.jpg "Good party councillor Lawrence Troon (Photo: Deon Ferreira)")
“When a company comes with a solution but the officials in this municipality are not acquainted with its owners, they will never be allowed to work with the City. It’s impossible that there’s no technology that can assist us detect the leaks in this day and age. People go to the Moon and back. Water leaks are such a simple thing and you say there’s no solution for it; that’s not true.”
“Water leaks are such a simple thing and you say there’s no solution for it; that’s not true.”
Economic Freedom Fighters councillor Siyabulela Mosi agreed with Troon that finding a solution for the leaks should be a simple task.
“There was a young lady who wanted an audience from the City who proposed a solution for the leaks but no one gave her a chance to check if her proposal would work or not.
“If the metro has leaks that affect the 100% pass rate at Soqhayisa High School in Motherwell because students have to stay home for a whole week, due to there not being water caused by the leaks, what are we saying to the community?” DM