SEDIBENG.- “There is clearly no hope left for the Emfuleni Local Municipality (ELM).”

This was said by Gerda Senekal, Freedom Front Plus (FF Plus) Councillor in the ELM.

Senekal said that Rand Water’s latest attachment of ELM’s bank account is the final nail in the coffin for this administration. Rand Water took this drastic step last week after ELM is said to have failed to fully settle a debt of R300 million and only managed to pay R200 million.

Crisis comes after passing of Mid-Term Budget

“The attachment has effectively cut off the Municipality’s cash flow and brought critical services to a standstill. Fire engines and refuse removal vehicles have run out of fuel, while desperate officials are paying out of pocket in an attempt to keep emergency vehicles operational.”

This crisis is unfolding shortly after the Council approved an adjustment budget last week, amid claims of vote rigging. Fraud charges have since been laid at the Vanderbijlpark Police Station by the Democratic Alliance (DA) and the FF Plus (FF Plus).

Was the SVP really a viable solution?

Meanwhile Senekal told Sedibeng Ster that the Freedom Front Plus (FF Plus) had repeatedly warned that, “Such reckless financial decisions would drive service delivery over the edge of ruin, and now that prediction has become the harsh reality.”

She added that what is even more disturbing is, what she termed, “the glaring contradictions in the so-called partnership with Rand Water.”

In November 2025, a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) partnership was presented to the public as the breakthrough solution to stabilise Emfuleni’s water debt.

“However, that very same “partner” is now taking aggressive legal action to drain the municipality’s last lifeblood.”

If this partnership was genuinely intended to save Emfuleni, Senekal said, it raises serious questions:

•            Was the SPV really a viable solution or merely a political smokescreen to mislead the public?

•            Why is there no alignment between the proposed partnership and the current hostile debt collection?

“In the Freedom Front Plus’s view, the entire situation smacks of gross maladministration and a total lack of transparency. The attachment will render Emfuleni utterly unable to pay salaries and compensate service providers.”

ELM spokesperson, Makhosonke Sangweni said, “We have not done any statement, but yes, our account has been attached and the discussions are ongoing.”