A Durban hotel manager has expressed his disgust at the eThekwini Municipality’s response to repairs after a technical failure at the Mahatma Gandhi Pump Station caused sewage to overflow onto the streets and into the harbour. The hotel, located near the Point area, has been bearing the effects of the failure, with guests greeted by a massive hole filled with sewage and an unbearable stench.
The technical failure, which occurred at the municipality’s Mahatma Gandhi Pump Station, has also caused some beaches to close, and has enraged the sailing fraternity based at the local harbour. For more than a week, sewer water overflowed from pipelines onto parts of Margaret Mncadi Avenue and into the harbour.
Sewage Overflow Causes Chaos
The manager, who cannot be named to protect the identity of the hotel, said the problems with the sewer pipelines outside his business have been ongoing, but in March 2026, two sinkholes formed outside his fence, exposing cables and raw sewage flowing underground. According to the Wikipedia page on sewage management, proper maintenance is crucial to preventing such incidents.
“On routine inspections of the premises, we noticed a paving brick had sunk into a hole. When I took a closer look, I noticed it was deep, and a putrid smell was emanating from it. The level of water fluctuates during the course of the day,” he said. The collapse of the area and sidewalk damaged his main water pipe, leading to the hotel.
Impact on Local Businesses
The entrance, exit and delivery zone are compromised. We will consider using the back entrance. Some of the stock coming into the kitchen has to pass through the restaurant, causing inconvenience for clients. We are trying to run a business. There are huge events like the Comrades Marathon happening in Durban in a few weeks,” said the concerned owner. The eThekwini Municipality website provides information on the city’s infrastructure and maintenance plans.
Here are some of the key issues affecting the hotel and local community:
- Sewage overflow causing health and safety concerns
- Damage to infrastructure, including roads and sidewalks
- Impact on local businesses, including hotels and restaurants
- Closure of beaches and disruption to water activities
On Monday, the City’s Executive Director of Technical Services, Ednick Msweli, said the pump station experienced technical failures affecting electrical and mechanical components required for routine pumping operations. On Tuesday, the municipality said it continued to implement measures to contain and mitigate the sewer overflow as well as clean-up and disinfection operations.
Msweli said the pump failures were attributed to excessive dumped rags and foreign objects that damaged the screens and clogged the pumps. Msweli said during the repair and recommissioning processes, additional technical complications were identified, resulting in further delays in restoring full operational capacity.
