The financially strained Emfuleni Local Municipality has spent almost R12 million on four service providers for grave-digging between the 2022 and 2025 financial years, despite having a Parks and Recreation Department resourced with staff capable of performing this function. The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Gauteng demands an end to this ongoing irresponsible spending and the utilisation of existing staff to prevent the municipality from incurring unnecessary additional costs.
This information was revealed by Gauteng MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA), Jacob Mamabolo, in a written response to a question tabled by the DA in the Gauteng Provincial Legislature (GPL).
See full reply here.
The squandering of millions of rands on external service providers for tasks like grave-digging is unjustifiable. These tasks do not require specialised skills and should be handled internally instead by those already employed by the municipality. The outsourcing of such basic functions reflects not only poor fiscal management but also a failure of responsible governance and accountability, all of which have become regrettably synonymous with the Emfuleni.
The DA has long complained about double-dipping in this municipality, finding it highly suspicious and questionable. Earlier this year, MEC Mamabolo confirmed that the same municipality had spent over R15 million in the past five financial years (2019-2024), paying service providers for maintenance and grass cutting services at graveyards. The trend persists unabated, even in the face of financial difficulties faced by this municipality, raising serious concerns about who truly benefits from these arrangements. Instead of stepping in and holding the Emfuleni administration accountable, Premier Panyaza Lesufi and MEC Mamabolo consistently deflect responsibility, instead placing blame on the very municipality they are meant to oversee.
Emfuleni should learn valuable lessons from Midvaal, which is a typical example of a well-run municipality. Instead of squandering ratepayers’ money, this municipality invests sufficiently to maintain infrastructure and ensure quality, sustainable service delivery.
It is a complete disgrace that funds are lining the pockets of service providers while this municipality has roads riddled with potholes, sewage flowing freely, and some homes lacking electricity for as long as ten years. The money spent on duplicating the same services could have been better invested in addressing the urgent issues that affect residents’ lives.
The DA will pose questions to MEC Mamabolo regarding the responsibilities of current staff, particularly considering the outsourcing of their functions. We will advocate through our councillors in Emfuleni to stop the outsourcing of grave-digging and ensure that this is done by general workers.
A DA-led Gauteng Provincial Government would ensure that municipalities, such as Emfuleni, are well-resourced and encouraged to use their workforce to perform essential functions like grave-digging and cleaning at our cemeteries. The funds currently paid to service providers would be redirected to improve service delivery and support job creation programmes.