- The Emfuleni Local Municipality has become a national embarrasment.
- The Department of Water and Sanitation has intervened to re-establish long-standing water and sanitation mismanagement, corruption and neglect.
- The Vaal River System and surrounding communities have for years suffered from the persistent problem of severe sewage pollution and spillages.
Despite several interventions by the Ekurhuleni Water Care Company (ERWAT) and the South African National Defence Force, the problem persisted. In response, the Department of Water and Sanitation invoked Section 63 of the Water Services Act in 2021, and appointed Rand Water as its implementing agent, to address the situation.
According to the department, the intervention has already achieved significant milestones. These include unblocking and replacing collapsed sewer lines; refurbishment of pumpstations and existing wastewater treatment works; and assisting the municipality with essential operational tools of trade, including vehicles, and security.
The department said the remaining work is now on upgrading the capacity of existing Waste Water Treatment Works (WWTW), which are currently struggling to handle the increased amount of sewage due to population growth over the recent decades. The total estimated cost of the intervention is R7.6 billion over a seven-year period, including completion of the major capital works.
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Eskom debt
Following a notice given on 2 July 2024 to the National Treasury and Emfuleni Municipality (Emfuleni), Emfuleni is no longer a beneficiary of the Municipal Finance Management Act (MFMA) 124 Debt Relief program due to multiple breaches. The Sheriff of the Court allowed Eskom to attached Emfuleni’s four bank accounts to recover R8 billion in arrears and ensure that the money collected for electricity is paid directly to Eskom.
Emfuleni Municipality is a local municipality within the Sedibeng District Municipality, in the Gauteng province of South Africa. It is the westernmost local municipality in the district, and covers an area of 987 km² at the heart of the Vaal Triangle.
The municipality failed to comply with the requirements of the National Treasury debt relief program. The attachment of the bank accounts allows Eskom to receive payment for the electricity it supplies, ensuring continued service to the municipality’s customers. Eskom has exhausted all legal and mediation avenues to secure payment for services rendered since 2018.
Author: Bryan Groenendaal
