Residents of Durban, South Africa, are marking the country’s human rights day without water, a development that requires urgent government intervention.

Development Diaries reports that over 70 protesters gathered at Durban City Hall on Human Rights Day to demand that the eThekwini municipality provide a dependable, secure water supply.

It is understood that many residents of Durban have been without tap water for six months, and now they are demanding that officials be held accountable for having failed them badly.

But why are South African authorities failing to provide water for the populace?

While the residents of Johannesburg have continued to experience a lack of water due to the crippling of reservoirs, the residents of Durban are saying they cannot celebrate human rights without water.

The government needs to act fast.

Water is not just a basic necessity; it is a human right. Access to clean drinking water is crucial for maintaining health, sanitation, and overall well-being.

Communities and individuals are more vulnerable to environmental deterioration, malnourishment, and waterborne infections when they lack sufficient access to water.

Recognising water as a human right means ensuring that everyone, regardless of their socioeconomic status or geographical location, has access to sufficient, safe, acceptable, physically accessible, and affordable water for personal and domestic use.

It also involves protecting water sources, promoting sustainable water management practices, and addressing disparities in water access to uphold this fundamental right for all people.

According to a report by GroundUp, the Minister of Water and Sanitation, Senzo Mchunu, had assured the residents that they would have tap water by 15 February. Unfortunately, this promise was not fulfiled.

Development Diaries calls on Mchunu and the eThekwini municipality to speed up efforts to ensure a stable water supply is provided for the people of Durban.

Source: GroundUp

Photo source: GroundUp