DA, ActionSA reject Xhakaza’s SoCA, cite worsening service delivery in Ekurhuleni

Opposition parties criticised Executive Mayor Nkosindiphile Xhakaza’s State of the City Address (SoCA), saying it did not address urgent service delivery concerns.

Executive Mayor Nkosindiphile Xhakaza, in his address recently, said his administration had worked to recover from what he termed the “barren years” between 2021 and 2023.

He described the period as marked by revenue shortfalls, governance failures, declining service delivery, a collapse in key municipal functions, reduced economic activity, and eroding public trust.

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DA caucus leader Brandon Pretorius said the mayor was unwilling to take accountability and had not addressed residents’ lived realities.

Quoting former Germiston resident and DA stalwart Helen Suzman, Pretorius told council: “Debate is almost non-existent, and no one is apparently accountable to anybody apart from their political party bosses. It is bad news for democracy in this country.”

He said coalition partners were “protecting each other’s interests while residents go without the basics”, adding that the address did not reflect conditions on the ground.

Pretorius said he had expected an apology from the mayor for ongoing service delivery failures, including prolonged electricity outages, delays in issuing clearance certificates and mounting debt owed to service providers.

Instead, he described the SoCA as “a polished version of a city that does not exist”.

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Pretorius also referred to what he described as reactive governance, where action is taken under pressure from public unrest.

“When burning tyres become the most effective form of public consultation, governance has failed,” he said, referencing protests in Thembisa.

The DA also raised concerns about governance and accountability, particularly findings linked to the Madlanga Commission, which has exposed alleged political interference in procurement processes. Pretorius said the coalition government was enabling a culture of impunity, citing salary increases for senior officials implicated in corruption and irregular expenditure.

He also questioned the city’s commitment to transparency, referring to a R2b security tender and delays in tabling reports linked to whistle-blower cases.

On the financial front, the DA pointed to increasing bad debt, nearing R6.8b, and what it described as unrealistic revenue projections.

Pretorius said rising contracted service costs, alongside reduced employee-related expenditure, suggest an overreliance on outsourcing rather than building internal capacity.

“This is not a city moving forward. This is a city being run into the ground,” he said.

ActionSA echoed these concerns. PR councillor Xolani Khumalo said the mayor had downplayed the severity of the service delivery crisis and had not addressed key issues, including the insourcing process.