Gauteng MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA), Mzi Khumalo revealed that in the past five years, The Emfuleni municipality has paid R494 007 655.00 in overtime to employees, despite having outsourced the same functions from external service provider.

Emfuleni Local Municipality (ELM) reportedly paid R473 million to service providers for rendering the following services: electrical maintenance, sewer, water leaks, clearing dumping sites, and refuse collection.

Khumalo revealed this in a written reply to the DA’s questions tabled in the Gauteng Provincial Legislature (GPL). For each financial year over R70 million was spent on overtime:

2017/18 financial year R76 260 983

2018/19 financial year R89 562 266

2019/20 financial year R100 998 799

2020/21 financial year R102 696 271

2021/22 financial year R124 489 336

DA Member of the Provincial Legislature (MPL), Kingsol Chabalala, said Emfuleni is failing dismally to render services to its residents.  “There is no regular refuse removal, sewer spillages are flowing all over the streets because the municipality does not have a plan in place to upgrade the dilapidated bulk water infrastructure.”

Service providers contracted for the refuse collection were paid R2 300 000.00 and the municipality also spends an average of R1 345 780.00 on waste removal employees monthly. This is a waste of taxpayers’ money as there is nothing to show for these millions spent on waste removal employees and service providers as there are piles of rubbish on every corner of the street in Emfuleni.”

Chabalala spoke briefly saying that; residents have suffered enough under this current government in Emfuleni.

“They pay for services with their hard-earned money which is not rendered to them accordingly. The DA will write to MEC Khumalo demanding a forensic report on the overtime paid to employees and money spent on service providers because there is no improvement in service delivery in Emfuleni.”

We will engage our DA councilors in Emfuleni to table a motion in Council to probe overtime paid on employees and outsourcing of service providers.” Even the main office space in Vanderbijlpark was closed earlier this week due to lack of money to meet their monthly payment on rent.

We believe that internal employees who are claiming exorbitant money on overtime can do the work being performed by service providers. This will help to curb wasteful expenditure and to ensure that residents are rendered services they deserve.”

Submitted by: Cornelius D. Mofokeng.