Chaos erupted on 25 January 2023, in the council chambers of the Emfuleni Local Municipality (Evaton, Sebokeng, Vaal Oewer, Vanderbijlpark, Vereeniging) when councillors and officials were officially informed that no salaries will be paid for January.
The Mayor, Mr Sipho Radebe, was conveniently absent when the announcement was made and officials stormed into the council chambers, turning over and damaging whatever they could get their hands on.
The non-payment of salaries is a direct consequence of Emfuleni’s dire financial predicament.
Basically, no services can be rendered after the court awarded Eskom an attachment order against Emfuleni.
Emfuleni’s current bank account was frozen shortly after and Eskom seems determined to carry out the court order.
As a result, no contractors or bulk service providers, like Rand Water, received payment.
Even the intervention by the Gauteng Premier, Panyaza Lesufi, last week made no difference.
Since the attachment order was issued, eighty percent of Emfuleni’s officials did not turn up for work because there is no money to buy spare parts or fuel for municipal vehicles.
The FF Plus has been saying for years that the ANC’s mismanagement of Emfuleni will end in sheer disaster.
The only way to save Emfuleni from utter ruin is a new government that has residents’ best interests at heart, and possesses the political will and ability to turn the Municipality around.
Emfuleni residents must not be punished any longer and they deserve better than the ANC.
Read the original article in Afrikaans by Gerda Senekal on FF Plus
