- Joburg fails to pay refuelling services.
- Joburg’s service delivery fleet faces standstill.
- ANC tries to forge ahead with R10 billion SAMWU wage deal.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) has been reliably informed that the ANC-led City of Johannesburg is facing a fuel crisis that has left municipal vehicles grounded and now threatens service delivery across the City.
The MMC for Transport from the PA, who is part of the ruling ANC-led coalition, has confirmed that JRA vehicles cannot operate because refuelling services have been suspended. Information available to the DA indicates that the problem is much wider and is affecting several departments and entities, including Pikitup, Johannesburg Water and others.
The consequences for residents are obvious – a standstill in service delivery.
Potholes cannot be repaired, traffic lights cannot be fixed, refuse cannot be collected and water infrastructure faults cannot be attended to. This is a crisis that will be felt in every community if it is not addressed urgently.
What makes this situation even more concerning is that it comes just days after Council passed the City’s budget.
Residents were told by the Mayor in his SOCA that the City was ready to deliver services, yet we now find ourselves in a situation where basic operational requirements such as fuel appear to be unaffordable.
Last week, the DA was informed that the City Manager and Group CFO were subjected to intense pressure and allegedly held hostage by SAMWU to ensure the Politically Facilitated agreement (PFA) is paid before the elections despite the City’s worsening financial position.
The DA respects municipal workers and values the important work they do every day. However, a City that cannot afford fuel for its vehicles cannot afford additional R10 billion financial commitments that place even more pressure on already stretched finances.
Residents deserve answers. They deserve to know how widespread this crisis is, what the City’s true financial position is, and what urgent steps are being taken to prevent a complete breakdown in service delivery.
Johannesburg residents are paying more and more for services. The least they should expect is a City that can keep its vehicles on the road and deliver the basics.
Come the Local Government Elections on the 4th of November, residents of Johannesburg will finally be able to rid themselves of this mess.