The recall of Emfuleni’s mayor has intensified scrutiny over the municipality’s prolonged governance crisis, with the Democratic Alliance’s mayoral candidate describing the move as further evidence of deep-rooted dysfunction.
The DA candidate stated that senior ANC leaders have privately acknowledged the severity of the crisis, arguing that officials have become consumed by internal political battles rather than prioritizing service delivery. While the ANC has welcomed the recall as a step toward accelerating service provision, the party rejected suggestions that the decision was prompted by its recent by-election loss to the DA in Ward 23.
According to the DA spokesperson, the municipality’s collapse predates the former mayor’s tenure. “The rot did not start with [this] mayor,” they said, noting that governance failures have persisted for over two decades across multiple administrations. They referenced statements from senior ANC figures who, in late 2023, reportedly admitted the party had “run out of ideas” to salvage the municipality and lacked governance capacity.
The candidate highlighted that the ANC received below 40% support in recent elections, with multiple parties—including the EFF, Patriotic Alliance, Solidarity, and the Horizon Movement—campaigning on removing the ANC from power before forming a coalition government. They argued that even appointing multiple new mayors would not resolve the crisis without structural intervention.
Service delivery failures remain acute, the candidate noted: streets filled with potholes, uncollected refuse, and residents enduring years without electricity. “This municipality has been limping from one disaster to another,” they said. They pointed to the 2018 election, when residents first voted out the ANC, as an early signal of public demand for change—a message they say was reinforced by recent by-election results in Ward 28.
The DA representative also raised concerns about unheeded anti-corruption efforts. They stated that the former mayor had written to the President requesting a Special Investigating Unit probe into corruption in Emfuleni—a call they claim was never supported by senior ANC leadership. They further alleged that internal factional battles continue to take precedence over residents’ needs.
When questioned whether opposition parties share responsibility for the municipality’s collapse, the candidate firmly rejected the notion. They detailed the DA’s efforts to escalate the crisis through multiple channels: submissions to the National Council of Provinces, the National Assembly, and provincial legislature; reports to law enforcement agencies; and complaints to the South African Human Rights Commission and the Public Protector regarding unconstitutional service failures.
The candidate expressed frustration that Chapter 9 institutions have been slow to act, citing the Moscow informal settlement case as an example where feedback on lodged complaints remained delayed. They emphasized that residents in areas such as Hollywood continue to live in appalling conditions more than three decades after the dawn of democracy.
As Emfuleni prepares for the November 4 elections, the DA mayoral candidate reiterated that residents deserve a municipality that “delivers for everyone.” They concluded that without meaningful intervention and a shift away from political infighting, the cycle of dysfunction is likely to persist.
