WATCH: DA demands service delivery in Emalahleni
The Executive Mayor of Emalahleni, Cllr Linah Malatjie received the memorandum and vowed to look at the list of demands together with Mayisela and give feedback within two weeks
The municipal manager was given 14 days to react to a memorandum highlighting service delivery flaws in Emalahleni.
Democratic Alliance leader Mpumalanga Provincial Leader Jane Sithole, DA Whip in the Mpumalanga Provincial Legislature Bosman Grobler, DA Caucus leader Cllr Naritha Naidu joined eMalahleni Ward 18 candidate Salomi Kriel on Friday, March 15 in a peaceful march and handed the memorandum to the Executive Mayor of Emalahleni Cllr Linah Malatjie.
“Over four years, the Eskom account increased from R990 million at the end of 2016 to R3.5 billion today,” said Cllr Naidu.
The DA is holding the accounting officer, Mr Sizwe Mayisela in his capacity as municipal manager accountable for this escalating debt.
Cllr Naidu said the municipality is failing to pay the amount Eskom is billing and as such contributing to the interest and the penalties that are charged. She added that Mayisela had ample time to come up with plans to deal with Eskom.
“The debt is exponentially increasing due to lacking political will to implement the financial recovery plan in a way that brings about change,” Cllr Naidu said.
She pinpointed five service delivery shortfalls she holds Mayisela to, electricity and creditor payment, drug abuse and crime, the water situation that is crippling households, unemployment and nepotism and potholes.
The common thread in all these points is the municipality’s lack of management.
“The failure to pay creditors such as Eskom on time and the amount which the entities are billing them is resulting in a situation in which the debts are continually increasing.”
The inaccurate billing system also affects the consumer.
The DA demanded the following from Mayisela: Pay all creditors on time and thereby reduce all interest and penalties, implement the financial recovery plan and ensure that all recommendations are followed, disconnect illegal electricity connections and maintain oversight on reconnections to the grid, improve the quality and reliability of water supply, upgrade the existing infrastructure and invest in the roads, build the bridge at Blancheville, root out those guilty of corruption, nepotism and maladministration and prosecute those who are guilty, live up to constitutional and legislative mandates and provide basic services.
Cllr Naidu warned that failure to respond positively to their demands will lead to intensification of their party’s demonstrations.
The Executive Mayor of Emalahleni, Cllr Linah Malatjie received the memorandum and vowed to look at the list of demands together with Mayisela and give feedback within two weeks.
DA wants to know why Emalahleni’s Eskom debt is over R3 billion
