Emfuleni spends over R75 million on consultants while employees claim overtime for the same work

Issued by Kingsol Chabalala MPL – DA Constituency Head for Emfuleni North
01 Feb 2023 in Press Statements

The cash scrapped Emfuleni Local Municipality (ELM) has spent R75 325 518.25 on five service providers for electrical maintenance while its permanent employees claim overtime for the same services the municipality has outsourced.

Motlanatso, Downtown, The Brand, Kheriol Engineering and Direct Bongwe were contracted to provide daily electrical maintenance and cable testing for electrical faults. Emfuleni is outsourcing despite having permanent electricians capable of rendering the same services.

This information was revealed by the Gauteng MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA), Mzi Khumalo, in a written reply to the DA’s questions tabled in the Gauteng Provincial Legislature (GPL).

According to MEC Khumalo, Emfuleni has paid R46 855 835.56 for overtime to its own and contracted electricians in the last five financial years.

This is extremely concerning that Emfuleni continues to waste money by paying twice for the same service while residents suffer due to the collapse of service delivery.

This municipality is struggling to pay its debt owed to Eskom and Rand Water. The money wasted on paying for overtime and outsourcing services could be used to reduce the debt owed to Eskom and Rand Water to ensure uninterrupted water and electricity supply to its residents.

The DA demands that COGTA must urgently investigate why Emfuleni is outsourcing while there have employees hired to render the same service.

The continued financial mismanagement of municipalities’ coffers is an insult to loyal rate-paying residents of Emfuleni. Therefore, the DA proposes that these funds wasted on outsourcing and paying overtime should be used to purchase electrical equipment for municipal electricians to perform the required services.