The eThekwini municipality in South Africa is responsible for the provision of dry sanitation to its poor and mainly rural settlements through an UDDT-programme which have encountered problems surrounding its social acceptance since its rollout in 2002. Rural areas close to the urban border are at the same time experiencing rapid urbanization, becoming peri-urban in character such as the area of Mzinyathi (area for case study). Within these areas there are multiple governing systems consisting of both the eThekwini municipality and Traditional Authorities, complicating the governance of service provision. This paper focus on how human agencies (practice) and conditions of local governance systems, shape and affect the sanitation service of the UDDT-programme under present conditions of rapid urbanization in the Mzinyathi area. The theoretical notion of “governmentality” is used to analyze current technologies and rationalities of relevant actors in the UDDT-programme. The research was carried out during a field study in Durban, South Africa through a case study relying on mix methods. The data collected consists of interviews, observations, and documents/maps. Findings imply that as the municipality tries to govern over sanitation in Mzinyathi promoting the UDDTs, they fail to cooperate with the Traditional Authorities that has mandate to regulate in Mzinyathi. Households dissatisfied with the UDDTs are flanked by both spatial policies trying to limit development in rural areas and informal urbanization processes. Instead, they use informal and illegal technologies supporting their rationalities of what is appropriate sanitation in accordance with the “development“ they perceive taking place with urbanization, leaving the UDDT behind.