SEDIBENG. – Emfuleni Local Municipality (ELM) has spent over R129m on refuse removal service providers, yet there is no regular refuse removal, and dirt piles up in the streets.

This was revealed to Sedibeng Ster by DA’s Kingsol Chabalala who said that this information was revealed in a written reply to the DA’s questions in the Gauteng Provincial Legislature (GPL) to the MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Lebogang Maile.

Maile revealed that a total of 24 service providers have been appointed for waste removal in ELM and that the following amounts have been paid:

• 2019-2020: R35 728 445.63
• 2020-2021: R33 672 827.80
• 2021-2022: R28 406 141.90
• 2022-2023: R25 425 371.48
• 2023-2024: R6 167 060.00

According to the MEC, the invoices for August and September have not been received, but a budget of R4m has been allocated. This municipality has 251 employees in the waste department, and their salaries amount to R3 860 725, while the monthly overtime is R1 225 525.

“The MEC claims that external service providers are used because of the high vacancy rate, shortage of tools of trade, and available fleet. The DA demands that instead of utilising external service providers, the municipality fill the vacancies and ensure there are enough tools of trade and vehicles for waste removal to be carried out daily.”