The family of a Verulam man, who suffered a heart attack and died while collecting water, believe the eThekwini Municipality should be held accountable for the suffering faced by the community.
Some parts of the area have been without piped water for more than 300 days, forcing residents to rely on water tankers, boreholes and the generosity of donors.
Junaid Anand Naidoo, 52, of Trenance Park Old Phase, died while collecting water from a borehole tap situated outside a school on Sunday morning.
Anwar Dawood, a relative, said Naidoo, a driver for a hardware store, and his brother went to collect water at 6am.
“They usually go to the tap quite early as there is often a long queue. Junaid's brother had filled five 20-litre buckets and Junaid picked up the first one to put inside the car. As he did this, he began to fall and froth. The brother ran to catch him and Junaid fell into his arms. He thought he had fainted."
Dawood said another sibling arrived with his wife and she attempted to perform CPR.
"But he was still unconscious. They quickly transported him to a local doctor, who informed them that he had passed on,” he said.
Dawood said Naidoo did not have any health conditions and believed his death was due to the "stress and strain" caused by having to collect water every day.
“He was a fit man, who didn’t have any medical conditions and was not on any medication. We believe that having to live a life centred around finding ways to make sure there was water in their home, put immense strain on him. For more than 300 days, we have had to live without running water. It has taken a toll on the residents' mental and physical well-being.
“We believe his death could have been avoided if the eThekwini Municipality had done everything in their power to restore water to the area. It is sad as Junaid had also been at the forefront with the community in their fight for water.
"He recently stood on the steps of the Durban City Hall during a protest on Human Rights Day to get the community’s pleas heard. There are also other deaths related to this water issue, so how many more people must die before water is restored? There needs to be accountability from the municipality.
“Junaid had three young children, who depended on him. He was the sole breadwinner at home. What will they do now?,” he said.
Roshan Lil-Ruthan, spokesperson for the Verulam Water Crisis Committee, said they have since written to the offices of the eThekwini Mayor, Mxolisi Kaunda, and the Minister of Water and Sanitation, Senzo Mchunu.
“We are deeply saddened by yet another tragedy directly attributed to the dire water situation. This loss of life is entirely on the hands of the municipality and government, and it is unforgivable. The actions, or rather inactions, of the authorities must be strongly condemned.
“In addition, we previously served a memorandum of demands to the mayor within a specified timeframe. Unfortunately, no response has been provided within the given seven days, which is a clear display of disregard for the concerns and needs of the community.
“It is vital that swift action is taken to rectify this situation and prevent any further loss of life. The lives and well-being of the community are at stake, and we cannot afford any more negligence or apathy from the responsible authorities. Immediate intervention is required to ensure the provision of safe and sufficient water supply during this critical time,” he said.
The city and minister’s office had not responded at the time of publication.