Chief Whip of the City of Ekurhuleni addresses challenges faced by businesses

The office of the Chief Whip of the CoE met with business leaders on February 21.

Chief Whip Pelisa Nkunjana led the meeting with Germiston business leaders to address critical service delivery challenges as part of intensifying stakeholder engagement.

The engagement comes amid mounting frustration from business owners over prolonged power outages, water shortages and the detrimental effects of crime on their operations. With businesses struggling to function efficiently, leaders want urgent interventions to ensure economic sustainability, job retention and better municipal responsiveness.

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Dave Sinclair from Imilo Industries stressed collaboration’s importance, “I think if business and government work closely together, we could overcome anything.

“There has to be will on both parties’ side, but business is willing to assist, and I think this is a good start.

“We need to maintain the momentum and ensure everybody stays focused. I think it is a good positive start,” said Sinclair.

Key issues raised by businesses

Power outages and water shortages: Prolonged electricity blackouts and unreliable water supply have crippled businesses and affected productivity, revenue and staff retention. Many companies must rely on generators, driving up costs and making operations unsustainable.

Inefficiencies in municipal response:

One of the biggest concerns was the difficulty of escalating issues to the relevant municipal authorities.

Businesses struggle to get through to officials, delaying resolving infrastructure problems. This inefficiency exacerbates economic instability and increases operational costs.

Crime surge linked to power failures

Business owners highlighted the rising crime levels in industrial areas. Criminal syndicates take advantage of power outages, targeting infrastructure like substations, underground cables, control boxes and street poles.

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This widespread theft and vandalism contributes to traffic congestion and unsafe roads, directly affecting businesses and logistics.

Rising infrastructure theft and vandalism

Between 2023 and 2024, over R20m was spent repairing vandalised or stolen traffic lights in the region. Despite repairs, criminals often strike within hours of repairs, making infrastructure maintenance a never-ending challenge. From stolen stop signs to damaged control boxes, businesses face safety risks and financial losses.

Impact on business operations and staff retention

With infrastructure breakdowns worsening, businesses struggle to retain staff because workers face unreliable transport, unsafe conditions, and reduced working hours because of power disruptions.

The unpredictability of service delivery threatens long-term investments and business growth.

Moving forward

Nkunjana emphasised that public-private sector partnerships are crucial in tackling these challenges.

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She outlined several interventions that her office, in collaboration with local government, law enforcement, and the business community, is prioritising:

Infrastructure protection and security enhancement
• Strengthening security measures around substations, traffic signals and underground cables;
• More patrols and surveillance in high-risk industrial zones.

Faster response systems and accountability
• Establishing direct response teams to expedite resolving power and water disruptions;
• Improving municipal communication channels for quicker business-government engagement.

Community and business collaboration on security and infrastructure maintenance

• Launching the Protect a Robot Campaign to encourage local businesses and communities to protect traffic lights and public infrastructure;
• Encouraging communities to identify and report vandals and criminal syndicates.

Policy and legislative strengthening against vandalism

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• Stronger legal action against criminals involved in infrastructure theft;
• Harsher penalties for those caught stealing or damaging public assets.

“The challenges businesses face are not just operational; they impact the entire local economy. The economic sustainability of Ekurhuleni depends on reliable infrastructure and a safe business environment.

“Our office is determined to ensure municipal inefficiencies, power disruptions, and crime do not cripple businesses. Through a stronger partnership between government, business and communities, we can protect our assets, improve accountability and drive sustainable economic growth,” said Nkunjana.