The Emfuleni Local Municipality has spent over half a billion on employees’ overtime, yet service delivery has collapsed, and its residents continue to suffer.
Residents do not have their refuse collected on time. In some areas, taps have run dry, and the roads are in a terrible condition, filled with potholes and sewage that runs through the streets and piles of rubbish.
According to a written reply to the Democratic Alliance (DA) questions from the Gauteng MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA), MEC Mzi Khumalo, R537 876 300 has been spent by Emfuleni on employees’ overtime.
During the hard lockdown, R102 696 271 was spent during the 2020/2021 financial year, and R124 489 336 was spent during the 2021/2022 financial year.
This money wasted on overtime could have been used to pay Rand Water and Eskom, who have attached the municipality’s account due to non-payment.
The MEC claims that the workers who were paid overtime have helped to improve service delivery to residents because they work in the Water Care Works, Electrical, and Water and Sanitation departments. However, there is nothing to show for it because service delivery has worsened.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) will continue to put pressure on the MEC Khumalo to ensure that the residents of Emfuleni receive the service delivery they deserve.
When DA governs Gauteng next year, we will put solutions in place to ensure that Emfuleni residents and other municipalities have access to adequate service delivery.