DA takes Ekurhuleni’s plight to Parliament

18 September 2024

The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Ekurhuleni is deeply concerned with the ongoing energy and water crises, particularly in Germiston, and has taken the fight for Ekurhuleni’s residents to Parliament.

It has become clear that the city's electricity and water department is failing, with days of outages and no commitment from the Mayor to resolve the crisis. Some of the issues the municipality faces are:
- Crippling staff shortages;
- An inadequate maintenance budget;
- Standby teams lack vehicles;
- There is no funding available for essential repairs; and
- Operating with staff levels of under 70%, while the metro welcomes new residents daily.

Residents, pushed to breaking point, are threatening rates boycotts. Last week, the Mayor called a public meeting in Germiston's Ward 39 to address these concerns, but failed to attend, leaving the community deeply frustrated. Tempers flared, leading to a physical altercations and public representatives' safety was put at risk. This is unacceptable.

In addition to this, NERSA’s proposed 40% tariff hike will feel to residents who are already paying the price for years of fraud, corruption, and mismanagement, like an additional charge payable for services they do not receive.

We urge national government to instate a consequence management system hold the Mayor, the City Manager, and the HOD of Energy accountable. The Mayor must be held responsible for endangering the safety of both residents and public representatives.

We urge immediate action to ensure accountability and respect for the community.

Issued by Michele Clarke, DA Germiston Constituency Head, 18 September 2024