Municipalities such as Ekurhuleni cannot deliver services without resources
Residents often feel rightfully aggrieved by the poor level of service delivery they face every day. Whenever I move around Alberton, I encounter non-functioning traffic lights; on my daily walks, I traverse streets plagued with potholes
Like many Alberton residents, I feel the desperation of wanting to see this town the way it used to be.
It’s about something as simple as regularly cutting the grass and having working streetlights—things that once made the area a pleasure to live in due to its neatness and reliable infrastructure.
Those days feel long gone, and hope for improvement is fading.
Clearly, something went wrong—and continues to go wrong—with the city. Unfortunately, the real issue is one we’re reluctant to acknowledge. The City of Ekurhuleni, the municipality that provides services to Alberton, faces financial and human resource constraints.
Alberton’s roads department, responsible for services in 11 wards, is a clear example of an under-resourced unit.
To function effectively, the department requires 200 staff members. Currently, it has only 74, with 20 additional positions remaining unfilled.
This staff shortage causes delays in responding to maintenance requests and compromises road safety and service delivery. We see the effects daily – potholes left unrepaired and roads in urgent need of resurfacing.
Residents like myself have often asked why our roads aren’t fixed. The standard response? A lack of funding to address the ongoing issues we face daily.
Interestingly, despite this reasoning, the MMC for Roads and Transport Planning, Andile Mngwevu, has stated that he does not plan to increase the current budget.
With a growing backlog, surely the MMC could consider increasing the budget, especially when areas like Alberton are clearly in urgent need of attention.
The roads department is just one example of how financial and staffing shortages are impacting service delivery. Other departments, like Parks, are also struggling due to insufficient resources.
The city needs bold, transparent action to ensure departments have the resources to function. This includes a realistic budget that doesn’t overpromise and underdeliver.
Those responsible for allocating funds must prioritise sustainable and consistent service provision.
