Parliament, Tuesday, 2 June 2026 – The Select Committee on Public Petitions and Executive Undertakings has expressed concern that uThukela Water failed to act against senior officials accused of racism and did not implement recommendations arising from a forensic report.
The committee met today with uThukela Water (Pty) Ltd regarding a petition the South African Municipal Workers’ Union (SAMWU) submitted to the National Council of Provinces (NCOP). Among other allegations, SAMWU claims that uThukela Water failed to implement the recommendations of a forensic report into incidents of racism and that the entity awarded contracts to a group of white-owned companies.
The forensic report was commissioned by the KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs. The committee heard that much of the disciplinary action could not be implemented because implicated officials had resigned or retired before action could be taken. The 2019 report also found that a group of service providers may have received contracts irregularly through procurement manipulation and conflicts of interest. Implicated officials included former acting managing director and chief financial officer Mr L.L. Cunha, Ms Hannelie Hickley, and other senior managers who were accused of discriminatory conduct.
Committee Chairperson Mr Ofentse Mokae said the committee has been dealing with the petition against uThukela Water for some time. “We are not going to rush the petition. We are going to get to the bottom of the issues raised in all petitions before us. We are going to make sure that, when we close a petition, we have fully satisfied ourselves that all areas have been covered so that, when we table the report in the NCOP, the process will have been thorough on our side,” he said.
uThukela Water told the committee that, after the resignation of the board chairperson, the forensic report on allegations of racism was not tabled and, therefore, no broader investigation was conducted into the allegations. The entity added that the report would be tabled again in June.
Mr Mokae also expressed concern that, since the committee received the petition, the KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs has not been available to attend a committee meeting. The committee said it was troubling that the matter had remained unresolved for six years before it was eventually submitted to Parliament.
“When senior leaders in government are not seen to be cooperating with one another, it paints a negative picture of the principles of co-operative governance,” said Mr Mokae.
The committee recommended that, given the seriousness of the allegations contained in the forensic report, it should conduct a physical visit to uThukela Water rather than rely solely on reports.
“There is a growing culture in which officials, once implicated in misconduct within one state organ, simply move to another without facing consequences for their actions in previous roles. This is fast becoming a modus operandi in the public sector, and it needs to be rooted out, as it is a cancer eating away at the public service,” said Mr Mokae.
ISSUED BY THE PARLIAMENTARY COMMUNICATION SERVICES ON BEHALF OF THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE SELECT COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC PETITIONS AND EXECUTIVE UNDERTAKINGS, MR OFENTSE MOKAE.
For media enquiries or interviews with the committee Chairperson, please contact:
Name: Jabulani Majozi (Mr)
Parliamentary Communication Services
Cell: 083 358 5224
E-mail: jamajozi@parliament.gov.za
Arrange a tour