A Day in the Life of PeWG

 

By Fred Felton | Nov. 17, 2025

Service delivery in the City has been accelerated by the Presidential eThekwini Working Group (PeWG). Last week on 13^th November a high-level delegation led by Co-Chairs of PeWG Director-General in the Presidency Phindile Baleni and Mike Mabuyakhulu did an inspection of big service delivery projects underway in the City.

A Presidential eThekwini Working Group tour led Co-Chairs Director-General in the Presidency Phindile Baleni and Mike Mabuyakhulu, appraised the progress of major development projects underway in the City. | Photo: Saneli Mthalane 

The delegation from PeWG which included key stakeholders from the City visited Moses Mabhida Stadium, Rivertown Precinct, the Southern Aqueduct, the uMlazi Canal and Phoenix Industrial Park.

PeWG was established as a result of engagements between the President and the Durban Chamber of Commerce and Industry to look at pressing challenges such as interruptions in water supply, old infrastructure, tourism decline, crime and port issues.

One of the flagship projects that PeWG looks at is the uMlazi Canal Flood Alleviation Scheme, an essential flood mitigation project that protects the South Durban Basin’s industrial hub.

As a result of intervention from PeWG, Transnet accepted ownership of the canal and did repairs which are 81 percent complete.

The full restoration is due for June 2026 at a projected cost of between R2 billion and R3 billion.

The PeWG tour also inspected the Southern Aqueduct Upgrade. | Photo: Saneli Mthalane. 

Another catalytic project is the Southern Aqueduct Upgrade which is underway in the City, aiming to enhance bulk water security and resilience across the southern region of eThekwini.

The project is divided into 8 work packages, construction is 40 percent complete, with full commissioning around mid-2026.

So far this project has created employment and integrated digital supervisory control and data acquisition systems to modernise water management.

The PeWG’s Focused Intervention Team has also helped with urban renewal; problem and neglected buildings such as 85 Anton Lembede Street and 516 Dr Pixley KaSeme Street have seen visible improvements and legal recovery efforts.

Through PeWG Workstream 3, security and social stability have improved through expanded CCTV coverage, enhanced Operation Shanele deployments and new measures to look at homelessness and forensic laboratory backlogs.

PeWG’s integrated results-driven approach is quickly becoming a national model for restoring confidence, resilience, and growth in the urban centres of South Africa.

The uMlazi Canal Upgrade. | Photo: Fred Felton. 

Mabuyakhulu noted that over the past year, the PeWG has evolved into one of the City’s most progressive initiatives.

He also highlighted that eThekwini has seen improvements in water and sanitation service delivery.

The inspections also provided an opportunity to celebrate achievements that have been made possible thanks to partnerships, especially with the business sector, which has helped restore public trust and business confidence in the City.

‘’Witnessing how eThekwini has implemented initiatives to address service delivery challenges while boosting confidence is commendable,’’ said Co-Chair of PeWG, Director-General in the Presidency Phindile Baleni.