VANDERBIJLPARK – Another week, another damning millions scandal in the cash-strapped Emfuleni Local Municipality.
This time, a wasteful expenditure was put in the spotlight following millions spent on grave-digging.
This comes after almost R12m was spent on four service providers for grave-digging between the 2022 and 2025 financial years, despite having a Parks and Recreation Department resourced with staff capable of performing this task.
In a written reply seen by Ster, it was revealed that the municipality paid R693 per adult grave, R575 for re-openings, and R462 for child graves during the three years.
Companies listed in the response included Inkokheli Business, Zyka Management, Luselo & Seithuto JV and Downtown Spares.
Between 2022 and 2025, Inkokheli alone received R7 692 087, 90, while Zyka Management received payment of R578 329, 55, Luselo & Seithuto JV received R 2 791 561,23 between 2022/2025 and Downtown Spares received R195 064, 45 in 2022/2023 alone.
According to the DA in Gauteng, the party demands an end to the ongoing ‘irresponsible’ spending and the utilisation of existing staff to prevent the municipality from incurring unnecessary additional costs.
Information was revealed by the Gauteng MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA), Jacob Mamabolo, in a written response to a question tabled by the DA in the Gauteng Provincial Legislature (GPL).
“The squandering of millions of rands on external service providers for tasks like gravedigging is unjustifiable. These tasks do not require specialised skills and should be handled internally instead by those already employed by the municipality,” said the party’s member of the Provincial Legislature, Kingsol Chabalala.
“The outsourcing of such basic functions reflects not only poor fiscal management but also a failure of responsible governance and accountability, all of which have become regrettably synonymous with Emfuleni,” he added.
Chabalala said the DA has long complained about double-dipping in the municipality, finding it highly suspicious and questionable.
“Earlier this year, MEC Mamabolo confirmed that the same municipality had spent over R15m in the past five financial years (2019- 2024), paying service providers for maintenance and grass cutting services at graveyards.”
“The trend persists unabated, even in the face of financial difficulties faced by this municipality, raising serious concerns about who truly benefits from these arrangements,” he said.
Chabalala said Emfuleni should learn valuable lessons from Midvaal, which is a typical example of a wellrun municipality.
“Instead of squandering ratepayers’ money, this municipality invests sufficiently to maintain infrastructure and ensure quality, sustainable service delivery. It is a complete disgrace that funds are lining the pockets of service providers while this municipality has roads riddled with potholes, sewage flowing freely, and some homes lacking electricity for as long as 10 years,” he said.
At the time of going to print, comment by ELM could not be obtained.
