Durban mayor Cyril Xaba said there will be stable water supply during the Easter holiday.
Image: File
As Durban is preparing for a busy Easter period, eThekwini mayor Cyril Xaba has assured residents and holidaymakers that no disruptions to water supply are expected during the holiday period.
In a briefing on Sunday, Xaba said the city was expecting over 1.2 million visitors.
“We are approaching this holiday period encouraged by the success we achieved during the 2025 festive season. In preparing for the busy Easter holidays, we will build on this success to ensure that we deliver a safe and memorable holiday.
“We have recently been ranked among the world’s top destinations by Time Out Worldwide. Durban secured an impressive 14th position out of 100 global cities. This achievement tells a compelling story about the work we are doing, in collaboration with the private sector, to maintain and expand tourism infrastructure in the city.”
Addressing water supply concerns, he said: “The planned shutdown of the Southern Aqueduct, which will take place from tomorrow (Monday, March 30) until Tuesday morning for pipeline upgrades, will not adversely affect our Easter holiday plans. We therefore assure residents and visitors of uninterrupted water supply during this period and beyond.”
Xaba also provided updates on major projects. “On Thursday, I conducted an oversight visit to the R11 billion Lower uMkhomazi Bulk Water Supply Project, which is now 50% complete. This project will supply eThekwini with 70 megalitres per day, significantly improving water supply in the southern areas.”
Speaking on entertainment, he sid there is vibrant line-up of events, Xaba said. “During Easter, visitors can look forward to the One Man Concert, Doek On Fleek, the Sjava 10th Year Celebration Tour, Bryan Adams: Roll with the Punches, Mandisi Dyantyi’s Symphonic Celebration, and many more.”
He highlighted activities for families including exciting holiday programmes for children, hosted at uShaka Marine Theme Park and local parks such as Mitchell Park Zoo and the Durban Botanic Gardens. “These programmes are designed to keep young minds active, entertained, and engaged during the school holidays.”
Other major events include the Metro FM Music Awards taking place on 25 April, with tickets now available at Computicket. This will be followed by Africa’s Travel Indaba from 11–14 May, which will bring over 10,000 delegates, including exhibitors and buyers.
Xaba emphasised the municipality’s integrated safety approach. “Our preparations for the Easter holiday season include a comprehensive and integrated law enforcement plan, which has been developed jointly by Metro Police, SAPS, private security, the KwaZulu-Natal Road Traffic Inspectorate, Home Affairs, and Customs.”
Highlighting operational details, Xaba said that over 1,000 officers will be on duty throughout the municipality, patrolling our streets, beaches, and places of entertainment 24 hours a day. “We have increased patrols on freeways to address jaywalking by pedestrians. There will be heightened enforcement on public transport to remove unroadworthy vehicles from the roads.”
He added that law enforcement efforts would extend to church services and major tourist sites. “Police will monitor gatherings, including the Good Friday Service that the municipality will host jointly with the Diakonia Council of Churches on 3 April, and assist in controlling traffic where necessary. Shopping malls and tourism sites will also be closely monitored to ensure the safety of patrons.”
All 23 Durban bathing beaches are open, Xaba said, adding: “During the holiday period, water quality testing is conducted weekly to leave nothing to chance. To ensure the safety of bathers, the municipality will deploy 200 lifeguards along the coastline from 06h00 to 18h00 daily. We urge beachgoers to cooperate with lifeguards by swimming in designated areas and avoiding swimming under the influence of alcohol.”
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