Despite reporting a healthy profit for the 2024-2025 financial year, the Umngeni-Uthukela Water Board is facing significant strain due to massive unpaid debts owed by three major municipalities in KwaZulu-Natal.

The bulk water supplier revealed its financial results in Durban on Thursday, highlighting that overdue municipal payments are suffocating its operations.

The Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of the entity, Thami Mkhwanazi, revealed that Ugu District Municipality and Msunduzi Municipality, which are run by the ANC and the King Cetshwayo District Municipality, which is run by the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP), are the largest debtors.

“At the moment we are sitting at R3,1 billion Rands of overdue debts, of the R3,1 billion, Umsunduzi owes us a billion Rands, King Cetshwayo owes R1 billion Rands… Ugu district owes us R560 million, I will not mention the small amounts,” he said.

Mkhwanazi revealed that a billing dispute with the King Cetshwayo District Municipality remains unresolved, with the Department of Water and Sanitation now acting as an arbiter in the matter.

Meanwhile, the water board announced that a Special Investigating Unit (SIU) probe into its affairs has been concluded. The entity is now implementing all recommendations and remedial actions arising from the investigation.

The water board also revealed that the National Treasury has condoned R1,2 billion in irregular, fruitless, and wasteful expenditure.