SEDIBENG. – The ANC has said that it remains committed to defending the interests of the people of Emfuleni and to ensuring that the Emfuleni Local Municipality’s Council functions in a manner consistent with the constitution, the Municipal Finance Management Act (MFMA), and the urgent needs of the community at large.

The budget adjustment at Emfuleni Local Municipality (ELM) was stalled following a walkout staged by the DA, FF Plus, and EFF last Wednesday.

For the second time, ELM failed to pass its adjustment budget, first on February 26 and again last Wednesday.

Emfuleni has 90 councillors, and, under the law, a budget requires the support of a majority of all councillors, which means 46 votes were needed for the adjustment budget to pass.

Sedibeng ANC Secretary, Jason Mkhwane, said that it is not a minor procedural issue (the walkout).

“It is a serious governance and service delivery matter. In terms of section 28 of the Municipal Finance Management Act, a municipality may revise an approved annual budget through an adjustments budget. The Act further provides that an adjustments budget must reduce revenue and expenditure estimates when there is material under collection of revenue, and it allows for lawful realignment of funding within the approved framework where this becomes necessary.”

Mkhwane further elaborates that the constitutional position is equally clear that, in terms of section 160(2)(b) of the Constitution, the approval of budgets may not be delegated, and in terms of section 160(3)(b), such a matter must be decided by a supporting vote of a majority of the council’s members.

“After the walkout by the DA, EFF, and FF Plus, the ANC-led coalition remained with 44 councillors, which was not enough to lawfully pass the adjustment budget. The ANC views this conduct as reckless and anti-people. Whatever political differences exist in council, no responsible party should frustrate the adoption of a legally required budget process that is necessary to keep the municipality functioning within the law.”

He added that walking out of a sitting in a municipality already facing serious governance and service delivery pressures, is not principled opposition.

“It is conduct that places political manoeuvring ahead of the needs of residents. The failure to pass the adjustment budget has practical consequences. Where certain operational votes have already been spent, the municipality cannot simply continue spending as if nothing has happened. If expenditure continues outside lawful authority, it risks becoming unauthorised expenditure under the MFMA framework.”

Following the failure to pass the adjustment budget, ordinary residents will be the most affected.

Communities already dealing with blocked sewer systems, burst pipes, road deterioration, and delayed municipal responses are the ones most likely to feel the impact first.

The danger is that repairs, maintenance, and frontline interventions may be delayed or reduced.

Mkhwane continued by saying that what makes the failure even more unacceptable is that municipal budgets are not abstract documents; and that they are the instruments through which roads are repaired, sewage is cleared, water systems are maintained, refuse is removed, and basic public infrastructure is kept working.

“When parties deliberately undermine the passage of such a budget, they are not scoring a point against the ANC. They are undermining the people of Emfuleni. The ANC, therefore, calls on all councillors in Emfuleni to act with urgency and responsibility in the interests of residents. Council must rise above narrow party tactics and ensure that the adjustment budget is dealt with in a manner that protects financial compliance, service delivery, and the stability of local government.”