DA calls on MEC Maile to intervene in Ekurhuleni electricity crisis

Issued by Lebo More MPL – DA Katlehong South Constituency Head
10 Jul 2020 in Press Statements

The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Gauteng is concerned about the continuous power outages in Ekurhuleni yet the Gauteng MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA), Lebogang Maile is doing nothing to resolve this crisis.

Ekurhuleni has been experiencing power outages almost daily which has left thousands of residents without electricity.

This current electricity crisis is as a result of the City’s failure to have sufficient technical staff within the electricity department as well as a shortage of necessary resources.

It is MEC Maile’s responsibility to coordinate and ensure the effective functioning of local government, promote integrated development planning, and deepen participatory democracy in order to accelerate service delivery. However, it seems MEC Maile is conveniently ignoring the current crisis at hand as Ekurhuleni fails to function effectively due to abnormal power outages.

The growth and effectiveness of the City’s economy is measured by the number of necessities such as electricity that it provides to its people.

The DA is calling on MEC Maile to intervene and resolve Ekurhuleni’s power outages as a matter of urgency. We will also be tabling questions to MEC Maile in the Gauteng Provincial Legislature (GPL) to ascertain the reason behind the continuous power outages in Ekurhuleni and what has been done by his department as part of the required interventions.