Service delivery in the Emfuleni Local Municipality (Evaton, Sebokeng, Vaal Oewer, Vanderbijl Park, Vereeniging) was brought to an abrupt standstill on 30 September 2021, after Eskom seized one of the Municipality’s current back accounts. Eskom took this drastic action because the Municipality failed to pay the electricity supplier.
And now municipal vehicles and bulldozers are stranded next to the road due to a lack of fuel.
Emfuleni has not honored its repayment agreement with Eskom ever since the court ruled in Eskom’s favour on 2 September this year. The court granted a summary judgement of R1,3 billion against the Municipality.
The amount forms part of Emfuleni’s historical debt amounting to R1,9 billion, which has been accruing since 2019.
The Municipality’s total debt burden to Eskom amounts to more than R3,5 billion.
This is Eskom’s third attempt to compel Emfuleni to pay its outstanding debt or just to honor its repayment agreement.
In March 2016, Eskom obtained a court order for an outstanding bill of R615 million.
In 2020, Eskom seized the Municipality’s movable assets after which an agreement was entered into according to which Emfuleni was supposed to pay R183 million per month to reduce its debt to Eskom.
The Emfuleni Municipality’s continued financial mismanagement also means that creditors will not be paid at the end of the month and many will be forced to suspend their services to the Municipality.
The FF Plus has requested the MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA), Lebogang Maile, numerous times to replace the administrative team in Emfuleni with competent individuals who can manage the Municipality’s finances effectively. These requests have fallen on deaf ears time and again, at the expense of Emfuleni residents.
The only way to save Emfuleni from this vicious cycle of mismanagement is to stand up with the FF Plus and replace the incompetent ANC-controlled council with a competent and accountable municipal management.
Residents must use the opportunity they have in the local government elections to achieve this goal. The decline must be brought to an end.
Read the original article in Afrikaans by Gerda Senekal on FF Plus
