IN CONVERSATION WITH KINGSOL CHABALALA MPL- DA EMFULENI NORTH CONSTITUENCY HEAD
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The Emfuleni Local Municipality lost a staggering 16.4 million kilolitres of
clean water during the 2024/2025 financial year, valued at over R880 million,
despite spending R57 million across 11 service providers in an attempt to fix
water leaks. The persistent leaks, driven by aging infrastructure and the
failure to replace deteriorating water systems, have left residents without
reliable access to water and sanitation services.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Gauteng has requested the South African
Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) to investigate Emfuleni for violating
residents’ constitutional right to water and sanitation. The outcome of this
investigation is still awaited.
This information was revealed by Gauteng MEC for Cooperative Governance
and Traditional Affairs (COGTA), Jacob Mamabolo, in a written reply to a DA
question tabled in the Gauteng Provincial Legislature (GPL).
It is alarming that, despite spending millions on repairs, Emfuleni continues
to lose millions of kilolitres of treated water daily. Clearly, the funds were not
effectively used to resolve the persistent leaks, leaving residents to bear the
consequences of poor infrastructure management.
The crisis is compounded by the municipality’s mismanagement of critical
funds. Over the past five years, Emfuleni returned R636 million of its
Municipal Infrastructure Grant funds—money desperately needed for water,
sanitation, and roads. In addition, the municipality spent R561 million on
unnecessary overtime between 2019/2020 and 2023/2024, yet service
delivery remains poor, signaling mismanagement, financial recklessness, or
entrenched corruption.
The DA has repeatedly called on Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi and COGTA
MEC Mamabolo to provide urgent oversight of Emfuleni. Despite warnings
and public outcry, meaningful intervention has been absent, leaving the
municipality teetering on the brink of collapse—not due to a lack of funds,
but poor leadership.
A DA-led Gauteng Provincial Government would ensure that COGTA and
Treasury intervene to improve Emfuleni’s financial management, ensuring
that service providers deliver quality work for the benefit of residents.
The DA will continue to monitor the SAHRC investigation, believing that it can
bring meaningful change and restore essential services to the residents of
Emfuleni.
clean water during the 2024/2025 financial year, valued at over R880 million,
despite spending R57 million across 11 service providers in an attempt to fix
water leaks. The persistent leaks, driven by aging infrastructure and the
failure to replace deteriorating water systems, have left residents without
reliable access to water and sanitation services.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Gauteng has requested the South African
Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) to investigate Emfuleni for violating
residents’ constitutional right to water and sanitation. The outcome of this
investigation is still awaited.
This information was revealed by Gauteng MEC for Cooperative Governance
and Traditional Affairs (COGTA), Jacob Mamabolo, in a written reply to a DA
question tabled in the Gauteng Provincial Legislature (GPL).
It is alarming that, despite spending millions on repairs, Emfuleni continues
to lose millions of kilolitres of treated water daily. Clearly, the funds were not
effectively used to resolve the persistent leaks, leaving residents to bear the
consequences of poor infrastructure management.
The crisis is compounded by the municipality’s mismanagement of critical
funds. Over the past five years, Emfuleni returned R636 million of its
Municipal Infrastructure Grant funds—money desperately needed for water,
sanitation, and roads. In addition, the municipality spent R561 million on
unnecessary overtime between 2019/2020 and 2023/2024, yet service
delivery remains poor, signaling mismanagement, financial recklessness, or
entrenched corruption.
The DA has repeatedly called on Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi and COGTA
MEC Mamabolo to provide urgent oversight of Emfuleni. Despite warnings
and public outcry, meaningful intervention has been absent, leaving the
municipality teetering on the brink of collapse—not due to a lack of funds,
but poor leadership.
A DA-led Gauteng Provincial Government would ensure that COGTA and
Treasury intervene to improve Emfuleni’s financial management, ensuring
that service providers deliver quality work for the benefit of residents.
The DA will continue to monitor the SAHRC investigation, believing that it can
bring meaningful change and restore essential services to the residents of
Emfuleni.
