EFF blames Maile for failure to address Emfuleni municipality’s crisis

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The Economic Freedom Fighters Gauteng has expressed concerns over Emfuleni municipality’s failure to pay workers their salaries for September due to its dire financial state.

The municipality has not paid salaries to workers in critical service delivery departments, including water, waste, and electricity.

This crisis follows Eskom’s attachment of the municipality’s accounts due to its inability to pay debts that have now skyrocketed to R8 billion.

The EFF provincial chairperson, Nkululeko Dunga, said it has consistently warned about the administrative and political incompetence and corruption of the ANC government in both Emfuleni and the Sedibeng District Municipality.

He stated that this incompetence has been tolerated and even abetted by the ANC government at both provincial and national levels.

“At the core of the municipality’s issues is a deeply entrenched culture of corruption among municipal officials and ANC politicians in the region, which the provincial government is aware of yet allows to persist at the expense of the people of Emfuleni.

“Moreover, the municipality has completely failed to establish proper revenue collection systems and credible financial management. Without radical changes, the financial collapse will continue.

“The municipality has consistently failed to comply with National Treasury’s debt relief program requirements concerning Eskom debt, resulting in its exclusion from the MFMA Section 124 Debt Relief Program,” he remarked.

No accountability for Emfuleni crisis

Dunga highlighted that while Gauteng Finance MEC, Lebogang Maile, has acknowledged the financial collapse and bankruptcy of the municipality, he has failed to take decisive measures to address the situation, likely due to his ties with fellow ANC comrades.

He continued; “Ongoing meetings between the local and provincial government have yielded no results, and no one has been held accountable for this crisis.

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“The situation with Emfuleni municipality has been ongoing for a very long time now and the EFF has no confidence in the current administration both at provincial and local government levels turning the situation around.

“Ultimately, Sedibeng residents must come on board in ensuring that an incompetent and corrupt government of the ANC is held accountable and removed from power.”