Residents left high and dry as ANC-led Emfuleni again fails to pay Rand Water

12 April 2018

The ANC-run Emfuleni Municipality’s failure to pay its water bill with Rand Water has again left residents without water.

This is the second time this year that the residents of Emfuleni have been left without water after the municipality failed to honour its agreement to pay its debt.

Last year the MEC for Finance, Barbara Creecy indicated that a payment plan was reached with Rand Water for the municipality to pay the R419 million it owed.

Despite this payment agreement in place to assist the municipality to get its finances in order, the ANC-led municipality’s failure to honour this agreement highlights the fact that it does not care for the people whom it is meant to serve.

Mayor Jacob Khawe was parachuted into the municipality last year to clean up the mess of former Mayor, Simon Mofokeng. Despite the fanfare, it is evident that Emfuleni’s problem is the ANC.

The DA will be tabling questions in the Provincial Legislature to the MEC for Local Government, Uhuru Moiloa to ascertain the following:

Why has the Emfuleni municipality failed to honour its payment agreement with Rand Water?

What contingency plans have been put in place to ensure that residents are not left without water? and

Why has the municipality not been put under administration as per section 139 (1) c of the Constitution?

MEC Creecy and MEC Moiloa must put Emfuleni municipality under administration as a matter of urgency for the good of the people who have suffered long enough under the incompetence of the ANC.

Issued by Kingsol Chabalala, DA Gauteng Constituency Head - Emfuleni North, 12 April 2018