Garbage piles up as trucks go unused

by Dady Mollo Cllr - DA Emfuleni Caucus Leader

I will write to the Mayor of Emfuleni to call on him to ensure that refuse removal takes places in the municipality. Refuse is not being collected for days on end, resulting in Emfuleni residents are being exposed to illegal garbage dumps as their refuse continues to pile up.

Councillor Mashabela and I conducted an oversight visit to the Emfuleni Waste Department yesterday. Upon our arrival, we found waste trucks parked at Vereeniging depot in Sebokeng, and we were informed that the trucks are indeed in working condition.

The trucks are not collecting refuse because the municipality is unable to make payments to service providers, who in turn confiscated the keys to these trucks. The DA understands that the service providers will only allow the municipality to use these trucks once payment is brought up to date.

Recently, we’ve seen countless reports that indicate that the extent to which the municipality is battling with its finances. Not so long ago the municipality could not afford to keep up the repayments to Rand Water, leading to cuts to its water supply. This is yet another instance that goes to show that the ANC-led municipality only cares about enriching itself. It has long since forgotten about the needs of the people.

Last month, Emfuleni residents suffered chronic blackouts that lasted for hours on end. These blackouts were the result of poor financial management by the municipality. This was followed by the Auditor-General Report that further revealed a net loss of more than R750 million at the Emfuleni Municipality. Chronic financial mismanagement at the Emfuleni Local Municipality are a serious concern and must be addressed urgently.

We call on the Mayor of Emfuleni to step in and handle this matter urgently. The DA has made numerous calls on the ANC leadership to address these financial woes but it is clear that the ANC only cares about enriching itself as our calls fall on deaf ears. We will continue to utilise every avenue to ensure that the ANC-led municipality is held accountable because the people of Emfuleni deserve better. They deserve a new beginning where their interests are the main priority.

Media EnquiriesDady Mollo CllrDA Emfuleni Caucus Leader

Anneke ScheepersDA Gauteng Communications Manager