{"id":295868,"date":"2026-03-19T16:14:48","date_gmt":"2026-03-19T14:14:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/?p=295868"},"modified":"2026-03-19T16:14:50","modified_gmt":"2026-03-19T14:14:50","slug":"business-chamber-blames-infrastructure-neglect-for-water-crisis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/business-chamber-blames-infrastructure-neglect-for-water-crisis\/","title":{"rendered":"Business Chamber blames infrastructure neglect for water crisis"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

GQEBERHA <\/strong>– The Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber said the deepening water management crisis facing the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro is not simply the result of drought conditions, but a water management crisis driven by the lack of proactive maintenance of critical water infrastructure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Responding to the recent disaster declaration of February relating to drought conditions in the Eastern Cape, the Chamber said the situation confronting the Metro reflects systemic governance and infrastructure shortcomings that have been allowed to deteriorate for years, placing businesses, residents, communities and the broader economy at risk.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to the Chief Executive Officer of the Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber, Denise van Huyssteen, the narrative that drought alone is responsible for the current situation is misleading and does not adequately address the root causes of the crisis.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“It is not a drought but a water management crisis. The continued failure to maintain and properly manage critical water infrastructure has created a situation where enormous volumes of treated water are simply being lost in the system,” said Van Huyssteen.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With unaccounted water losses now exceeding 60% and more than 6,000 reported leaks across the metro, the Chamber said these figures illustrate the scale of the systemic infrastructure issues which undermine water security.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

This situation is not sustainable and it is not solely the result of drought alone, but is exacerbated by long-standing infrastructure neglect and ineffective water management.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

The Chamber warns that the deteriorating water situation now poses a direct threat to business continuity across multiple sectors, including manufacturing, automotive, logistics, hospitality, retail and tourism.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Water is a fundamental enabler of economic activity. When supply becomes unreliable, it directly affects production, investment confidence and job security across the metro’s economy,” she added.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Urgent and sustained action is required to stabilise the water system and restore confidence. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Emergency measures alone will not resolve this crisis,” Van Huyssteen said. “What is required is the implementation of an action plan to ensure the ongoing maintenance of infrastructure, as well as medium to long-term investment in the infrastructure. This should incorporate the filling of key vacancies, especially artisans and other technical support, as well as maintaining vehicles and other tools of trade.”\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Chamber also called for greater transparency and accountability around infrastructure performance, water losses and maintenance programmes, noting that rebuilding public and investor confidence requires consistent progress and clear communication.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“As a business community we remain committed to working with the municipality, government and civil society to address the crisis. However, it is essential that the true nature of the problem is acknowledged and, along with this, urgent action is taken,” she said.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Chamber further urged residents, businesses and institutions to continue implementing responsible water-saving measures and to install back-up water solutions to deal with intermittent water shedding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

ALSO READ: <\/strong>National disaster declared as Bay dam levels near critical mark<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber warns that the region’s water crisis stems from mismanagement and infrastructure neglect, not just drought, threatening economic stability and requiring urgent action.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":20,"featured_media":295474,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_linkdex":"66","_yoast_wpseo_content_score":"30","_yoast_wpseo_inclusive_language_score":"90","_yoast_wpseo_is_cornerstone":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-title":"Business Chamber blames infrastructure neglect for water crisis","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-description":"Business Chamber blames infrastructure neglect for water crisis, highlighting critical maintenance issues beyond drought conditions.","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-image":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-image-id":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-title":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-description":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-image":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-image-id":"","newspack_ads_suppress_ads":false,"newspack_sponsor_sponsorship_scope":"","newspack_sponsor_native_byline_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_native_category_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_style":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_placement":"inherit","_crsspst_to_novanewscoza":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozabloemnewsexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozacityvision":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozadistrictmailhelderberg":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaeikestadnuus":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozahermanustimes":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozakomani-karoo":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozakougaexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozamthathaexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozanoordkaapbulletin":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozapaarlpost":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozapeexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozapeoplespost":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaswartlandgazette":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozatygerburger":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozavistanews":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozavrystaatkroon":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaweskusnuus":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaweslander":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaworcesterstandard":false,"_eb_attr":"","_EventAllDay":"","_EventTimezone":"","_EventStartDate":"","_EventEndDate":"","_EventStartDateUTC":"","_EventEndDateUTC":"","_EventShowMap":"","_EventShowMapLink":"","_EventURL":"","_EventCost":"","_EventCostDescription":"","_EventCurrencySymbol":"","_EventCurrencyCode":"","_EventCurrencyPosition":"","_EventDateTimeSeparator":"","_EventTimeRangeSeparator":"","_EventOrganizerID":"","_EventVenueID":"","_OrganizerEmail":"","_OrganizerPhone":"","_OrganizerWebsite":"","_VenueAddress":"","_VenueCity":"","_VenueCountry":"","_VenueProvince":"","_VenueState":"","_VenueZip":"","_VenuePhone":"","_VenueURL":"","_VenueStateProvince":"","_VenueLat":"","_VenueLng":"","_VenueShowMap":"","_VenueShowMapLink":"","_application":"","_batch_id":"","_company_name":"","_company_tagline":"","_company_twitter":"","_company_video":"","_company_website":"","_custom_id":"","_EventDuration":"","_EventOrigin":"","_EventTimezoneAbbr":"","_featured":"","_filled":"","_job_expires":"","_job_location":"","_media_credit":"","_media_credit_url":"","_menu_item_menu_item_parent":"","_menu_item_object":"","_menu_item_object_id":"","_menu_item_target":"","_menu_item_type":"","_menu_item_url":"","_menu_item_xfn":"","_navis_media_can_distribute":"","_navis_media_credit_org":"","_OrganizerOrigin":"","_provider":"","_pum_built_in":"","_pum_default_theme":"","_pum_form_conversion_count":"","_remote_id":"","_remote_name":"","_remote_position":"","_report_frequency":"","_report_reference_dates":"","_send_attempts":"","_site_id":"","_sitemap_exclude":"","_sitemap_frequency":"","_sitemap_priority":"","_source_url":"","_subscription_period":"","_subscription_period_interval":"","_subscription_price":"","_tec_slr_enabled":"","_tec_slr_layout":"","_template_type":"","_ticket_end_date":"","_ticket_start_date":"","_tribe_aggregator_allow_multiple_organizers":"","_tribe_aggregator_content_type":"","_tribe_aggregator_file":"","_tribe_aggregator_finalized":"","_tribe_aggregator_hash":"","_tribe_aggregator_import_id":"","_tribe_aggregator_import_name":"","_tribe_aggregator_interactive":"","_tribe_aggregator_origin":"","_tribe_aggregator_post_status":"","_tribe_aggregator_preview":"","_tribe_aggregator_source_name":"","_tribe_aggregator_type":"","_tribe_default_ticket_provider":"","_tribe_hide_attendees_list":"","_tribe_rsvp_for_event":"","_tribe_ticket_capacity":"","_tribe_ticket_header":"","_tribe_ticket_show_description":"","_tribe_ticket_show_not_going":"","_tribe_ticket_version":"","_type":"","_VenueOrigin":"","_wp_attachment_context":"","_wp_attachment_image_alt":"","_wp_font_face_file":"","_wp_old_date":"","_yoast_wpseo_estimated-reading-time-minutes":"3","_yoast_wpseo_focuskeywords":"","_yoast_wpseo_focuskw_text_input":"","_yoast_wpseo_keywordsynonyms":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_block-catalog":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":"1","_yoast_wpseo_primary_job_listing_type":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_nova_retailer":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_publication":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_tribe_events_cat":"","_yoast_wpseo_videositemap-duration":"","_yoast_wpseo_videositemap-rating":"","_menu_item_classes":[],"_tribe_modified_fields":[],"_wp_attachment_backup_sizes":[],"_wp_suggested_privacy_policy_content":[],"_yoast_post_redirect_info":[],"_yoast_wpseo_video_meta":[],"activation_date":"","archive_insertion_is_repeating":"","archive_insertion_posts_count":"","article_feature_media":"","article_feature_type":"","article_main_image_caption":"","article_media_icon":"","article_template":"","author_byline":"","background_color":"","block_editor":"1","byline":"","cmplz_hide_cookiebanner":"","competition_end_date":"","contact_advertise_email":"","contact_advertise_phone":"","contact_editorial_email":"","contact_general_email":"","contact_general_phone":"","contact_office_hours":"","contact_physical_address":"","enabled":"","featured_image_custom_caption":"","featured_video_url":"","fields":"","font_body":"","font_header":"","frequency":"","headline":"Business Chamber blames infrastructure neglect for water crisis","hide_border":"","icon":"","is_wp_suggestion":"","issuu_download_url":"","issuu_embed_url":"","language_version_url":"","large_border":"","name":"","nm_contact_name":"","nm_contact_number":"","nm_date_lost":"","no_overlay_background":"","node-url":"","obituary_born_date":"","obituary_died_date":"","obituary_memoriam_text":"","origin":"","overlay_color":"","overlay_opacity":"","overlay_size":"","placement":"","plural_label":"","post_author":"","post_id":"","post_language":"en","secret-key":"","sponsored_utm_campaign":"","sponsored_utm_content":"","sponsored_utm_medium":"","sponsored_utm_source":"","sponsored_utm_term":"","start_date":"","utm_suppression":"","video_embed_url":"","wp_pattern_sync_status":"","data_version":[],"enclosure":[],"pongrass_image":[],"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_newspack_byline_active":false,"_newspack_byline":"","newspack_content_restriction_is_exempt":false,"scaip_prevent_shortcode_addition":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[7874,8813,7909,9075],"newspack_spnsrs_tax":[],"publication":[],"class_list":["post-295868","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-local-news","tag-nelson-mandela-bay-municipality","tag-recommended","tag-water-crisis-2"],"yoast_head":"\nBusiness Chamber blames infrastructure neglect for Metro crisis | UD Express (Uitenhage)<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The water crisis in Nelson Mandela Bay is driven by infrastructure neglect, as the Business Chamber highlights critical governance issues.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/business-chamber-blames-infrastructure-neglect-for-water-crisis\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Business Chamber blames infrastructure neglect for water crisis\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Business Chamber blames infrastructure neglect for water crisis, highlighting critical maintenance issues beyond drought conditions.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/business-chamber-blames-infrastructure-neglect-for-water-crisis\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"UD Express (Uitenhage)\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/PEExpress1\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-03-19T14:14:48+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-03-19T14:14:50+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/create-a-featured-image-illustrating-cape-towns-current-water-crisis.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1024\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"768\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"UD Express\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:title\" content=\"Business Chamber blames infrastructure neglect for water crisis\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@EP_Media24\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@EP_Media24\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"UD Express\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/udexpress\\\/business-chamber-blames-infrastructure-neglect-for-water-crisis\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/udexpress\\\/business-chamber-blames-infrastructure-neglect-for-water-crisis\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"UD Express\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/udexpress\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/e204c6259f59eee600a8578c6fc1f4d6\"},\"headline\":\"Business Chamber blames infrastructure neglect for water crisis\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-03-19T14:14:48+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-03-19T14:14:50+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/udexpress\\\/business-chamber-blames-infrastructure-neglect-for-water-crisis\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":480,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/udexpress\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/udexpress\\\/business-chamber-blames-infrastructure-neglect-for-water-crisis\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/udexpress\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/02\\\/create-a-featured-image-illustrating-cape-towns-current-water-crisis.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Local News\",\"Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality\",\"Recommended\",\"Water Crisis\"],\"articleSection\":[\"News\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/udexpress\\\/business-chamber-blames-infrastructure-neglect-for-water-crisis\\\/#respond\"]}],\"copyrightYear\":\"2026\",\"copyrightHolder\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/udexpress\\\/#organization\"}},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/udexpress\\\/business-chamber-blames-infrastructure-neglect-for-water-crisis\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/udexpress\\\/business-chamber-blames-infrastructure-neglect-for-water-crisis\\\/\",\"name\":\"Business Chamber blames infrastructure neglect for Metro crisis | UD Express (Uitenhage)\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/udexpress\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/udexpress\\\/business-chamber-blames-infrastructure-neglect-for-water-crisis\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/udexpress\\\/business-chamber-blames-infrastructure-neglect-for-water-crisis\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/udexpress\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/02\\\/create-a-featured-image-illustrating-cape-towns-current-water-crisis.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-03-19T14:14:48+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-03-19T14:14:50+00:00\",\"description\":\"The water crisis in Nelson Mandela Bay is driven by infrastructure neglect, as the Business Chamber highlights critical governance issues.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/udexpress\\\/business-chamber-blames-infrastructure-neglect-for-water-crisis\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/udexpress\\\/business-chamber-blames-infrastructure-neglect-for-water-crisis\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/udexpress\\\/business-chamber-blames-infrastructure-neglect-for-water-crisis\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/udexpress\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/02\\\/create-a-featured-image-illustrating-cape-towns-current-water-crisis.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/udexpress\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/02\\\/create-a-featured-image-illustrating-cape-towns-current-water-crisis.jpg\",\"width\":1024,\"height\":768,\"caption\":\"Residents go days without water access, despite full dams.\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/udexpress\\\/business-chamber-blames-infrastructure-neglect-for-water-crisis\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/udexpress\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"News\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/udexpress\\\/news\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"Business Chamber blames infrastructure neglect for water crisis\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/udexpress\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/udexpress\\\/\",\"name\":\"UD Express\",\"description\":\"To Inform, Engage and Empower Local Communities\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/udexpress\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/udexpress\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/udexpress\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"UD Express\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/udexpress\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/udexpress\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/udexpress\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/03\\\/uitenhage-despatch-site-icon.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/udexpress\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/03\\\/uitenhage-despatch-site-icon.png\",\"width\":512,\"height\":512,\"caption\":\"UD Express\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/udexpress\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/PEExpress1\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/EP_Media24\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/express_newspapers\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.youtube.com\\\/@expressonline3000\\\/videos\"],\"description\":\"UD Express has been the eyes, ears, and voice of the Kariega (formerly Uitenhage) and Despatch communities since 1971, making it the oldest single-title free sheet in South Africa. Established with the goal of keeping our community informed, we have grown into one of the most trusted local news sources in the region, with 30,000 free copies delivered mostly door to door across Kariega, Despatch, and surrounding areas every week.\",\"email\":\"udexpress@novusmedia.co.za\",\"telephone\":\"0+2719925650\",\"legalName\":\"Novus Media (Pty) Ltd\",\"foundingDate\":\"2025-01-01\",\"vatID\":\"4100318916\",\"taxID\":\"2000\\\/018234\\\/07\",\"numberOfEmployees\":{\"@type\":\"QuantitativeValue\",\"minValue\":\"51\",\"maxValue\":\"200\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/udexpress\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/e204c6259f59eee600a8578c6fc1f4d6\",\"name\":\"UD Express\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/4337d3a25ac3ba8455c9939374a81adbc30eb5033a750ee59190cfb8f29e6d5d?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/4337d3a25ac3ba8455c9939374a81adbc30eb5033a750ee59190cfb8f29e6d5d?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/4337d3a25ac3ba8455c9939374a81adbc30eb5033a750ee59190cfb8f29e6d5d?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"UD Express\"},\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/udexpress\\\/author\\\/udexpress\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Business Chamber blames infrastructure neglect for Metro crisis | UD Express (Uitenhage)","description":"The water crisis in Nelson Mandela Bay is driven by infrastructure neglect, as the Business Chamber highlights critical governance issues.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/business-chamber-blames-infrastructure-neglect-for-water-crisis\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Business Chamber blames infrastructure neglect for water crisis","og_description":"Business Chamber blames infrastructure neglect for water crisis, highlighting critical maintenance issues beyond drought conditions.","og_url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/business-chamber-blames-infrastructure-neglect-for-water-crisis\/","og_site_name":"UD Express (Uitenhage)","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/PEExpress1\/","article_published_time":"2026-03-19T14:14:48+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-03-19T14:14:50+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1024,"height":768,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/create-a-featured-image-illustrating-cape-towns-current-water-crisis.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"UD Express","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_title":"Business Chamber blames infrastructure neglect for water crisis","twitter_creator":"@EP_Media24","twitter_site":"@EP_Media24","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"UD Express","Est. reading time":"3 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/business-chamber-blames-infrastructure-neglect-for-water-crisis\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/business-chamber-blames-infrastructure-neglect-for-water-crisis\/"},"author":{"name":"UD Express","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/#\/schema\/person\/e204c6259f59eee600a8578c6fc1f4d6"},"headline":"Business Chamber blames infrastructure neglect for water crisis","datePublished":"2026-03-19T14:14:48+00:00","dateModified":"2026-03-19T14:14:50+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/business-chamber-blames-infrastructure-neglect-for-water-crisis\/"},"wordCount":480,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/business-chamber-blames-infrastructure-neglect-for-water-crisis\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/create-a-featured-image-illustrating-cape-towns-current-water-crisis.jpg","keywords":["Local News","Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality","Recommended","Water Crisis"],"articleSection":["News"],"inLanguage":"en-ZA","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/business-chamber-blames-infrastructure-neglect-for-water-crisis\/#respond"]}],"copyrightYear":"2026","copyrightHolder":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/#organization"}},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/business-chamber-blames-infrastructure-neglect-for-water-crisis\/","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/business-chamber-blames-infrastructure-neglect-for-water-crisis\/","name":"Business Chamber blames infrastructure neglect for Metro crisis | UD Express (Uitenhage)","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/business-chamber-blames-infrastructure-neglect-for-water-crisis\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/business-chamber-blames-infrastructure-neglect-for-water-crisis\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/create-a-featured-image-illustrating-cape-towns-current-water-crisis.jpg","datePublished":"2026-03-19T14:14:48+00:00","dateModified":"2026-03-19T14:14:50+00:00","description":"The water crisis in Nelson Mandela Bay is driven by infrastructure neglect, as the Business Chamber highlights critical governance issues.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/business-chamber-blames-infrastructure-neglect-for-water-crisis\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-ZA","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/business-chamber-blames-infrastructure-neglect-for-water-crisis\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-ZA","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/business-chamber-blames-infrastructure-neglect-for-water-crisis\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/create-a-featured-image-illustrating-cape-towns-current-water-crisis.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/create-a-featured-image-illustrating-cape-towns-current-water-crisis.jpg","width":1024,"height":768,"caption":"Residents go days without water access, despite full dams."},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/business-chamber-blames-infrastructure-neglect-for-water-crisis\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"News","item":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/news\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Business Chamber blames infrastructure neglect for water crisis"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/#website","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/","name":"UD Express","description":"To Inform, Engage and Empower Local Communities","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-ZA"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/#organization","name":"UD Express","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-ZA","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/uitenhage-despatch-site-icon.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/uitenhage-despatch-site-icon.png","width":512,"height":512,"caption":"UD Express"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/PEExpress1\/","https:\/\/x.com\/EP_Media24","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/express_newspapers\/","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@expressonline3000\/videos"],"description":"UD Express has been the eyes, ears, and voice of the Kariega (formerly Uitenhage) and Despatch communities since 1971, making it the oldest single-title free sheet in South Africa. Established with the goal of keeping our community informed, we have grown into one of the most trusted local news sources in the region, with 30,000 free copies delivered mostly door to door across Kariega, Despatch, and surrounding areas every week.","email":"udexpress@novusmedia.co.za","telephone":"0+2719925650","legalName":"Novus Media (Pty) Ltd","foundingDate":"2025-01-01","vatID":"4100318916","taxID":"2000\/018234\/07","numberOfEmployees":{"@type":"QuantitativeValue","minValue":"51","maxValue":"200"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/#\/schema\/person\/e204c6259f59eee600a8578c6fc1f4d6","name":"UD Express","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-ZA","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/4337d3a25ac3ba8455c9939374a81adbc30eb5033a750ee59190cfb8f29e6d5d?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/4337d3a25ac3ba8455c9939374a81adbc30eb5033a750ee59190cfb8f29e6d5d?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/4337d3a25ac3ba8455c9939374a81adbc30eb5033a750ee59190cfb8f29e6d5d?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"UD Express"},"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/author\/udexpress\/"}]}},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/create-a-featured-image-illustrating-cape-towns-current-water-crisis.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":48854,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/it-could-have-been-avoided-20210512-2\/","url_meta":{"origin":295868,"position":0},"title":"Water Crisis: \u2018It could have been avoided\u2019","author":"UD Express","date":"13 May 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"ORGANISED business is deeply concerned about the pending water crisis which is projected to impact water supply to at least a third of the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan area.","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":46054,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/use-less-water-now-or-have-none-20230125\/","url_meta":{"origin":295868,"position":1},"title":"Use less water now \u2013 or have none!","author":"UD Express","date":"26 January 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Water-shedding, alongside load-shedding, awaits residents from Nelson Mandela Bay Metropole.","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/6aacdcc7483f4cd59637ca2fcb76abf9.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/6aacdcc7483f4cd59637ca2fcb76abf9.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/6aacdcc7483f4cd59637ca2fcb76abf9.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/6aacdcc7483f4cd59637ca2fcb76abf9.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":51690,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/nmb-municipality-dysfunctional-20190918-2\/","url_meta":{"origin":295868,"position":2},"title":"\u2018NMB Municipality dysfunctional\u2019","author":"UD Express","date":"19 September 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"THE recent open letter by the Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber has not received a warm welcome from the Nelson Mandela Bay Executive Mayor, who has labelled it as dishonest, disrespectful and out of order.","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":46942,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/water-leaks-businesses-intervene-to-avert-humanitarian-crisis-20220622\/","url_meta":{"origin":295868,"position":3},"title":"Water leaks: Businesses intervene to avert humanitarian crisis","author":"UD Express","date":"23 June 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"The Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber\u2019s Adopt A Leak intervention for local businesses to partner with the municipality in repairing the severe backlog of water leaks in the metro has been given the green light.","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/921ef95b014b472fac8de9948bbb2e30.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/921ef95b014b472fac8de9948bbb2e30.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/921ef95b014b472fac8de9948bbb2e30.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/921ef95b014b472fac8de9948bbb2e30.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/921ef95b014b472fac8de9948bbb2e30.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":46226,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/vwsa-receives-water-crisis-award-20221123\/","url_meta":{"origin":295868,"position":4},"title":"Volkswagen South Africa receives Water Crisis Award","author":"UD Express","date":"24 November 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"When Nelson Mandela Bay experienced severe water shortages a year ago, Volkswagen South Africa (VWSA) was one of the first companies that heeded the Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber\u2019s call for member companies to assist with implementing urgent interventions to reign in water losses in the metropole.","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/b56cd7f056e14a5090930b49ba23e52f.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/b56cd7f056e14a5090930b49ba23e52f.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/b56cd7f056e14a5090930b49ba23e52f.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/b56cd7f056e14a5090930b49ba23e52f.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/b56cd7f056e14a5090930b49ba23e52f.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/b56cd7f056e14a5090930b49ba23e52f.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":46662,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/infrastructure-vandalism-economic-sabotage-20220907-2\/","url_meta":{"origin":295868,"position":5},"title":"Infrastructure vandalism \u2013 economic sabotage","author":"UD Express","date":"8 September 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"The Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber has advocated for a state of emergency declaration to be made to protect South Africa\u2019s infrastructure against large-scale vandalism, which is costing the economy millions of Rands and is putting ongoing invest","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/fc32763d59b94791aa3706ea44d633a7.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/fc32763d59b94791aa3706ea44d633a7.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/fc32763d59b94791aa3706ea44d633a7.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/fc32763d59b94791aa3706ea44d633a7.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/fc32763d59b94791aa3706ea44d633a7.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/fc32763d59b94791aa3706ea44d633a7.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]}],"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"UD Express (Uitenhage)","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/295868","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/20"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=295868"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/295868\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/295474"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=295868"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=295868"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=295868"},{"taxonomy":"newspack_spnsrs_tax","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/newspack_spnsrs_tax?post=295868"},{"taxonomy":"publication","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/udexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/publication?post=295868"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}