THE eThekwini Municipality has denied allegations of the city being bankrupt amid speculation that their coffers are running empty, rendering them unable to deliver on services.

City manager Musa Mbhele has come out to dismiss these social media allegations, labelling them as “a smear campaign aimed at tarnishing the image of the municipality”. This follows widespread circulation of WhatsApp messages and other social media platforms alleging that various departments in the municipality are unable to deliver services due to a “bleak financial situation”.

The departments mentioned in the messages include water and sanitation, parks, recreation and cemeteries, electricity as well as cleansing and solid waste. In his denial, Mbhele said, “The municipality is currently doing mid-term performance review in terms of the Municipal Finance Management Act (MFMA) and it has been noted that some expenditure items are higher than normal due to various reasons including adverse weather conditions which required more resources.”

Also Read: EThekwini approves SA Open golf series sponsorship

Mbhele said the heatwave affected a number of electricity substations and the persistent heavy rain impacted water infrastructure. “The mid-term review will inform the adjustment budget that is being finalised for the Council meeting in February. The need for adjustment budget is normal, taking into account our complex operations and is provided for in the MFMA. This was also done in the previous financial year,” explained Mbhele.

He reassured residents that the municipality remains in good financial standing despite a constrained national fiscal environment and services continue to be rendered in line with the approved budget for the 2024/25 financial year. This was supported by city spokesperson Gugu Sisilana who said, “With regard to allegations of plumbers not being dispatched to attend to water leaks, this is again not true. The Water Network Branch responsible for this function continues to deploy both internal and contracted plumbers to attend to burst pipes and leaks order for the city to save water. Grass cutting services and maintenance of verges also continues in line with the annual grass cutting cycle.

“It is therefore important that the public is not misled into believing that the municipality is bankrupt. Importantly, where the municipality is not living up to its service delivery standards we call upon the public to report these cases to the City Integrity and Investigations Unit by calling 0800 20 20 20 or email ombuds@durban.gov.za,” said Mbhele.

For more from Berea Mail, follow us on Facebook, X and Instagram. You can also check out our videos on our YouTube channel or follow us on TikTok.

Click to subscribe to our newsletter – here