- Unpaid contractors threaten a waste crisis in Ekurhuleni.
- The City must explain closures and restore services urgently.
- The DA would track invoices publicly and prioritise essential payments.
The reported closure of five landfills and most waste transfer stations in Ekurhuleni because of the non-payment of service providers is yet another damning example of a municipality failing to fulfill its most basic responsibilities.
Residents pay their municipal accounts and deserve reliable services in return. They should not have to live with the consequences of a municipality that cannot get its financial and administrative affairs in order.
The ANC-led coalition government must stop misleading residents with promises of service delivery while the basic systems needed to keep communities clean are reportedly grinding to a halt.
Residents deserve answers, not political spin. The Ekurhuleni municipality must publish the facts, account for every outstanding payment, and provide a clear timeline for restoring normal waste management operations.
A DA-led government would put an end to the culture of secrecy and excuses around contractor payments.
In our first 100 days, we would introduce a public-facing invoice-tracking portal showing when invoices are submitted, whether they have been approved, their processing status, and how long payments have been outstanding. Residents should be able to see where the process is failing and hold the municipality accountable.
We would also implement an emergency freeze on non-essential expenditure and hiring until outstanding payments to contractors providing essential services have been addressed. Essential services must come first, and municipal spending must reflect that priority.
The City must urgently assess the affected sites, disclose the reasons for the closures and communicate a credible plan to restore operations. Residents cannot be expected to wait indefinitely while the municipality fails to resolve a problem that threatens the cleanliness and safety of their communities.
On 4 November, residents can hold the ANC-EFF coalition government accountable for its record. They can reject a system in which residents are left with the mess while the City fails to provide clear answers.