Note to Editors: Please find an English soundbite here, and a Sotho soundbite here, both by Caucus Leader Duncan Mthembu
The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Emfuleni has submitted a Motion of No Confidence (MONC) against the Executive Mayor of Emfuleni Local Municipality, Sipho Radebe, who has failed the people of the municipality and is destroying the municipality.
The DA expects that in terms of Section 58 of the Municipal Structures Act, Mayor Radebe will be removed as soon as this motion serves at the next council sitting.
This is not only because the mayor has failed the people of Emfuleni, but because the residents of Emfuleni deserve to have water in their taps, their lights on, and their streets free from raw sewerage. None of these are possible under the failed leadership and directionless executive of Emfuleni.
The very same person responsible for effectively destroying the Emfuleni Local Municipality, will not be the one to rescue it.
The charge sheet against the mayor is extensive, and reasoning behind our call for his dismissal very simple.
The DA’s reasons for submitting the MONC:
- Both Water and Electricity utility services have collapsed, because of the municipality’s inability to manage its finances,
- Emfuleni’s Eskom account currently sits in excess of R6 billion,
- The Municipality’s bank accounts have been attached multiple times, and as a result they cannot even pay their employees’ salaries,
- Waste collection in Emfuleni is non-existent; and
- 72% of all water supplied to the Emfuleni local municipality is lost, wasted or unusable.
This dire situation is allowed to continue under the ‘leadership’ of Mayor Radebe. The DA says: “No more.”
Emfuleni has been mismanaged into the ground, and there must be accountability for these actions.
We believe that how councillors vote in this MONC against Mayor Radebe will be a clear indication of where a public representative’s loyalty lies.
Those who care about the people of Emfuleni, will vote for Radebe to go. Anyone who protects him, is a champion of failure and does not care about residents. The DA will always be on the side of good governance, and effective service delivery. The people of Emfuleni are not receiving either.