SEDIBENG. – “These matters that have nothing to do with the municipality but are provincial government functions.”

So said the Emfuleni Local Municipality (ELM) following the publication of the story by Sedibeng Ster, “Over R400 million spent on a bridge that leads to nowhere: DA”.

The municipality has said that the DA led the story while knowing the facts and decided to distort it (them).

In the story, the Democratic Alliance (DA) condemned the Gauteng Department of Transport and Logistics alongside Emfuleni Local Municipality (ELM) for, what it said was, spending over R400 million on a bridge in Emfuleni that “leads to nowhere”.

This, the DA said, is especially as the ELM finds itself in the midst of a full-blown service delivery crisis.

DA’s ELM Mayor elect, Kingsol Chabalala said that the new Flyover Bridge built on the R42, which was intended to link the northern developed area to the R42, as well as the future development of Vaal River City, has cost an exorbitant amount of taxpayers’ money, and that the project has been plagued by delays and remains incomplete, while residents of Emfuleni continue to be deprived of efficient service delivery.

“Service delivery should take precedence over a bridge. It really is as simple as that. The bridge is the least of Emfuleni’s residents’ concerns. The R400 million could have been directed towards addressing inoperable rubbish dumps and raw sewerage flowing through what remains of roads across the municipality”, said Chabalala.

Makhosonke Sangweni, the ELM spokesperson said, “Main roads and highways belong to both province and national government not the municipality. In addition, the DA must be responsible, factual and transparent in their reporting and not drag the name of the municipality unfairly on an issue that does not belong to them.”