SEDIBENG. – While struggling to meet its obligations, the cash-scrapped Emfuleni Local Municipality (ELM) is said to have spent R75 325 518 on five service providers for electrical maintenance when its permanent employees also claim overtime for the same services the municipality outsources.

On Tuesday this week, the municipalities employees and members of the South African Municipal Workers Union (SAMWU) marched to the ELM headquarters over corruption, failed service delivery, Eskom, and late salary payment headaches.

Meanwhile, the five service providers, whose names are known to Sedibeng Ster are said to have been contracted to provide daily electrical maintenance and cable testing for electrical faults. The ELM is said to be outsourcing services despite having permanent electricians capable of rendering the same duties.

Speaking to Sedibeng Ster, The Democratic Alliances (DA) Constituency Head for Emfuleni North, Kingsol Chabalala said that this information was revealed by the Gauteng MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA), Mzi Khumalo, in a written reply to the DA’s questions tabled in the Gauteng Provincial Legislature (GPL).

Chabalala said that according to Khumalo, Emfuleni has paid R46 855 835.56 for overtime to its own and contracted electricians in the last five financial years.

“This is extremely concerning that Emfuleni continues to waste money by paying twice for the same service while residents suffer due to the collapse of service delivery. This municipality is struggling to pay its debt owed to Eskom and Rand Water. The money wasted on paying for overtime and outsourcing services could be used to reduce the debt owed to Eskom and Rand Water to ensure uninterrupted water and electricity supply to its residents,” said Chabalala.

“The continued financial mismanagement of municipalities’ coffers is an insult to loyal rate-paying residents of Emfuleni. Therefore, the DA proposes that these funds wasted on outsourcing and paying overtime should be used to purchase electrical equipment for municipal electricians to perform the required services,” the party said.

During the march on Tuesday, SAMWU Secretary in Sedibeng, Thembinkosi Pulu called the ELM Hollywood.

“Everyone in this municipality is acting. Councilors in Emfuleni are all actors. You come here looking for the Municipal Manager, but you don’t find him, instead, you find an actor (an acting official) in that department. The Mayor is acting, everyone is acting (here) like this is Hollywood. Emfuleni has turned into Hollywood,” he said.

• Sedibeng Ster was unable to get a comment from the ELM at the time of going to print.