The Hilton Newspaper

Please note
UPDATE: ELECTRICITY OUTAGES AFFECTING PARTS OF HILTON
11:15 - 15th june 2026

Many residents have contacted us regarding the ongoing electricity outages affecting parts of Hilton. We would like to provide an update on the situation.

The current disruptions are linked to an ongoing strike by municipal workers in Msunduzi Municipality. The dispute relates to wage negotiations between employees and the municipality. Msunduzi recently sought a court interdict to halt the strike, but this application was unsuccessful.

Senior administrators within Msunduzi have indicated that they believe some of the outages may be the result of deliberate acts of sabotage targeting electricity infrastructure. There are also reports that political actors (MK Party) are attempting to use the current instability to deepen divisions between workers and municipal management for political gain.

Importantly, the faults affecting Hilton originate within the boundaries of Msunduzi Municipality and on infrastructure that falls under their control. Unfortunately, uMngeni Municipality is unable to dispatch its own contractors to repair these faults, as we do not have access to the affected infrastructure, nor do we have access to the network diagrams required to safely undertake repairs.

Despite these challenges, both the Mayor of uMngeni and the Municipal Manager remain in constant communication with senior management in Msunduzi to obtain updates and push for urgent restoration of services. Ward Councillors Kate and Pam are also working tirelessly to gather information and keep residents informed. However, communication from Msunduzi has been extremely limited, making it difficult to obtain reliable and timely updates.

In addition, Members of Parliament have escalated the matter to the relevant national ministers and government departments in an effort to secure intervention and restore stability.

This current disruption strengthens the uMngeni Municipality’s bid to take over electricity supply to greater Hilton. This cases is progressing well with supplementary affidavits having being recently submitted.

We understand the frustration and inconvenience that these outages are causing. Please be assured that we are continuing to engage with all relevant stakeholders and will share verified information as soon as it becomes available.

Cllr Chris Pappas
Mayor
uMngeni Municipality

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WATCH | Water issues at boiling point as DA hands over petition | The Witness The DA criticised the municipality's recently approved 2026/27 budget, which includes a 13% increase in water and sanitation tariffs.