Gauteng departments owe municipalities R89m for services - DA

Gauteng provincial government departments owe ANC-led local municipalities more than R89m for utilities.

Gauteng co-operative governance and traditional affairs MEC Lebogang Maile made this admission to DA MPL Kingsol Chabalala in a written reply to a question posed in the Gauteng legislature.

Chabalala said on Tuesday the amount was owed to the Emfuleni, Lesedi, Mogale City and Merafong municipalities.

"The money owed to these local municipalities is for utilities and is overdue by more than  120 days," he said.

Emfuleni was owed R49.6m of the R89m. Chabalala said Merafong was owed R14.2m, Mogale City about R13m and Lesedi R12.6m.

The Gauteng department of education owed R11.2m, the Gauteng department of health owes R18.3m and the Gauteng department of human settlements owed R257,000.

Chabalala said most of these municipalities had no money to render services to their residents, and the money owed could help ease their financial pressures.

"The embattled Emfuleni is struggling to pay debt owed to Eskom and Rand Water, as well as to deliver basic services such as sanitation and refuse removal.

"The DA calls on MEC Maile to intervene and engage with various departments that owe these municipalities monies to make payment arrangements as soon as possible," Chabalala said.