Note to editors: Please find the attached English soundbite by Kingsol Chabalala MPL.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Gauteng has submitted a complaint to the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) requesting an investigation into the Emfuleni Local Municipality for violating the right to access water and sanitation, as outlined in Sections 24, 27(1)(b), and 27(1)(c) of the South African Constitution. This human rights violation is forcing communities in this municipality to live in squalor, exposing them to significant health risks.
Emfuleni residents are facing enormous service delivery challenges, including frequent sewer spillages. For years, sewage has been overflowing into residents’ yards, roads, and water sources such as the Vaal River, creating serious health and environmental hazards. Additionally, residents are enduring water shortages and declining water pressure due to unresolved leaks and deteriorating infrastructure.
Financial mismanagement further exacerbates these issues, as Emfuleni returned R636 million of its Municipal Infrastructure Grant despite an urgent need to repair sewer and water systems and roads. Moreover, this municipality incurred a wasteful expenditure of R562 million on employees’ overtime while there is nothing to show for it as service delivery worsens.
See full letter of complaint here.
The DA has been pressurising this municipality to enhance its service, yet little to nothing has been done to turn things around. Meanwhile, our calls to the MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Jacob Mamabolo, to hold this municipality accountable have been ignored.
The DA-led Gauteng provincial government would improve efficiency in service delivery by hiring competent people in critical positions, completely doing away with jobs for the politically connected which has brought this municipality to its knees.
The DA will monitor the progress of the investigation, with the firm belief that it can bring meaningful change for the residents of Emfuleni. Emfuleni residents deserve immediate relief from the inhumane conditions they are living under.