Emfuleni Local Municipality officials have been subpoenaed to appear before the Gauteng Provincial Legislature to account for persistent service delivery failures, including unresolved housing and billing challenges faced by residents.
The summons comes after the legislature’s petitions committee met on Thursday to address eight long-standing community petitions, only one of which had received a response. Committee chairperson Vuisa Gentile criticized the absence of senior municipal officials, stating they failed to account for the unresolved grievances, some dating back to 2013.
Municipality Blames Competing Priorities
Hassan Mako, the municipality’s MMC for Finance, acknowledged the summons in an interview but defended the no-show, citing a conflicting local government summit aimed at addressing service delivery issues.
“We were hosting stakeholders to resolve these very challenges,” Mako said, adding that the municipality would comply with the subpoena. He admitted that while some progress had been made—such as halting sewage spills into rivers—the pace of service delivery remained slow.
Root Causes: Financial Strain and Aging Infrastructure
Mako attributed the failures to financial constraints, revealing that the municipality’s revenue collection rate sits at 76%, far below the required 85%, resulting in a nearly R1 billion shortfall. He also cited aging infrastructure, estimating a R7 billion backlog.
“The lack of payments from those who can pay, coupled with high unemployment, severely hampers service delivery,” Mako said.
Corruption and Recovery Efforts
The MMC disclosed that 24 municipal officials had been suspended for misconduct, including diesel theft and illegal grave sales. Additionally, the municipality has partnered with Eskom to improve revenue collection and launched a rapid land release program to attract investment.
Residents Demand Accountability
Residents in areas like Tshepiso and Evaton continue to endure poor services, with some petitions unresolved for over a decade. The legislature’s intervention underscores growing frustration over the municipality’s inability to meet basic needs.
Mako assured that the municipality would present its progress to the committee soon. However, with persistent financial and administrative challenges, the path to recovery remains uncertain.
The Gauteng Legislature has yet to announce the date for the subpoenaed hearing.
