A place that was once the heartbeat of South Africa’s struggle for liberation and democracy is a shadow of its glorious past. With potholed roads, water running everywhere and dirty streets, Emfuleni Local Municipality is struggling to deliver on its constitutional mandate. This assessment was made by the Select Committee on Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Water and Sanitation and Human Settlements (COGTA) during its oversight visit to the municipality.
“What we have seen today is a municipality on its knees or worse beyond the grave. A question we must ask is: what is it that we are doing to reverse the situation in the Vaal and not undermine the history of this town? In reality, all cities are improving and developing but all that is nonexistent in this town,” said Mr China Dodovu, the Chairperson of the committee.
The committee is concerned that the municipality has in general regressed since the audit opinion of the 2021/22 financial year, with residents bearing the brunt of no service delivery. What is worse, according to the committee, is that the municipality has no control of its accounts following a court order allowing Eskom to attach all the municipality’s accounts. As a result, the municipality can only access those accounts to pay employee salaries and nothing more.
“Without control of these accounts, the municipality is nonfunctional, can’t pay its debtors and is unable to access much needed grants to implement service delivery initiatives,” Mr Dodovu emphasised.
Emfuleni owes Eskom about R6.8 billion, which compelled Eskom to approach the courts to attach the municipality’s accounts. On a positive note, the municipality is receiving assistance from the National Treasury to remedy this issue. Also, the South African Local Government Association informed the committee that Emfuleni has been included in its project to resolve some of the long-standing challenges affecting the local government sphere.
Also of concern is that the municipality is only able to bill for 35% of the water it receives from Rand Water, with 65% of the water lost due to infrastructure challenges. The municipality informed Parliament that this situation is dire, especially because it has spent less than 45% of its capital budget, which includes among other things the refurbishment of bulk water infrastructure.
The committee also raised concerns that the municipality has resolved less than 50% of its audit action plan, which highlights an obvious lack of appetite to implement solutions necessary to remedy the dysfunctional municipality. It is also unacceptable that the municipality recorded a 172% increase in unauthorised, irregular, fruitless and wasteful expenditure, an environment that will encourage acts of corruption.
To make matters worse the municipality has a high vacancy rate across the board, which impacts on its ability to deliver services. For example, there are only two senior managers employed, with five positions vacant. Overall, the municipality has a vacancy rate of about 50%. Furthermore, the chief financial officer is currently on suspension. The committee emphasised to the municipality that it is critically important to urgently appoint senior managers to drive the municipality’s revitalisation strategy.
Lack of consequence management was also highlighted as a serious risk factor that needs to be addressed by the municipality. Currently the Municipal Public Accounts Committee has no chairperson as the previous incumbent resigned due to allegations of threats made. Also, the disciplinary board is not functional, impacting on the ability to undertake investigations and institute consequence management initiatives.
“We need urgent solutions to the challenges faced by this municipality. The provincial government and SALGA must urgently support the municipality to ensure that the people of this historic municipality receive their constitutionally guaranteed rights,” Mr Dodovu emphasised.
Malatswa Molepo
19 July 2023
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