GAUTENG NCOP DELEGATION EXPRESSES CONCERN OVER EMFULENI LOCAL MUNICIPALITY’S LACK OF OPERATIONAL BUDGET

Gauteng’s permanent delegates to the NCOP expressed a serious concern about Emfuleni Local Municipality’s lack of operational budget to provide basic services to the residents.

The delegates heard that the municipality is not collecting any revenue as residents don’t pay for services and the struggling municipality is forced to scramble for resources to pay Rand Water for water supply. The Chief Director of the municipality’s water and sanitation implementation utility (Metsi-a-Lekoa), Mr Madoda Besani reported that the local municipality collects no revenue and that it provides services it can’t afford.

The NCOP is on a week-long oversight visit to Gauteng to inspect water, sanitation, and human settlement infrastructure to identify and help find solutions to challenges that impede provision of water and sanitation. As part of their high-impact Provincial Week oversight programme, yesterday the delegation met with the municipal executives, including the Mayor Mr Sipho Nkosi, and the Department of Water and Sanitation team deployed to implement the Section 63 intervention, to exercise oversight on the water and sanitation infrastructure programmes in the area.

A large chunk of the municipality’s budget pays Eskom debt and to keep the lights on, while other operational imperatives are unfunded. When asked if the municipality has any operational budget to assist with day-to day operations, the Municipal Manager, Mr April Ntuli, confirmed that none existed. Currently, the municipality depends on the Department of Water and Sanitation’ Section 63 intervention budget to fund its activities.

The Section 63 intervention was invoked by the department to effect upgrades and improvements to critical bulk pipelines and pump stations infrastructure. The Chief Director responsible for the intervention, Mr Justice Maluleke, told the delegation that they procured and handed over sixteen vehicles and tractors to the municipality, but had to register them under Rand Water as the municipality owes different entities that may just attach the assets to recoup the debt.

Mr Nkosi reported that some of the challenges emanate from old and dilapidated infrastructure which has far exceeded its design capacity, leading to frequent downtimes, and collapse of sewer lines. He said blockages of sewer lines are caused by a variety of factors including dumping of foreign objects such as blankets, car tyres, stones and other debris that harm the system.

The delegation bemoaned the seriousness of the challenges facing the municipality and undertook to escalate the matter to the provincial and National government. They recommended the intervention of the National Treasury and the COGTA, as well as the Premier and the provincial government.

They noted some success reported as part of the Section 63 intervention, and implored the mayor and his executive to improve communication on successes that the municipality has had with upgrades to some strategic treatment plants in the area. The delegation told the mayor to improve customer care service and to take residents along on where the municipality is in terms of the benchmarks and interventions from Rand Water and the Department of Water and Sanitation.

Emfuleni municipality has been under much scrutiny and heavy criticism for a very long time for its failure to control the sewer spillage into the Vaal River system due to infrastructure collapse.

Source: Parliament of South Africa