You are the attorney assisting Tabitha with challenging the decision of an administrator. The administrator in this matter is the Department of Water and Sanitation. Tabitha stays in a suburb in Durban called Coastal Heights. Coastal Heights has not had water for 3 months. A great deal of the water infrastructure in the area was severely damaged by the recent floods. However, the remaining water pipelines in Coastal Heights were supplying water to residents but the Department decided to cut off water to Coastal Heights, citing that residents had not paid their water bills on time. The recent floods did terrible damage to the water infrastructure and took several lives in the Coastal Heights area, causing several families to endure serious financial hardship. Many families have been unable to pay their water bills due to losing loved ones to the floods and the deceased were, in those families, also the only members of those families who had work or could get work. Unemployment in the Coastal Heights community is otherwise very high overall.

Tabitha wants to know from you how administrative law as a field affects the administrative power of the Department in terms of cutting off water to the Coastal Heights community. In addition, she is wondering what role administrative authorities play in terms of administrative law and administrative power.

Distinguish between administrative law, administrative power and administrative authorities for Tabitha. (10 Marks)

NB:Please include references