Emfuleni bleeding cash but has nothing to show for it

While the cash-strapped Emfuleni local municipality continues to spend an average of R810,000 per month on overtime for waste removal employees, its residents claim they still live in filth. 

In a written reply to DA questions at the provincial legislature, Gauteng MEC for cooperative governance and traditional affairs Lebogang Maile said overtime claims by waste removal workers had been nearing R1m every month. This figure also equals the municipality’s monthly salary bill for waste employees which is at R1,3m

"In the last five years, the municipality had spent R40m for overtime on waste removal employees," Maile said.

However, some residents were shocked to hear this yesterday. 

Maine Jan, a resident at Small Farm in Evaton, said refuse was collected once a month in their area.

“At times they don’t even bother to come. Unfortunately I am staying at a corner house close to where people have created a dumping site. The smell is unbearable. There is also sewerage that is freely flowing in the street. So I ask myself, where does this amount go to?” he said.

Another resident who identified himself only as Isaac, who also stays in Evaton, said rubbish in their area was only collected after five to six weeks. "That amount is ridiculous. There would be no need for people to create dumping sites if rubbish was collected. At times you see these municipal people just lying around or in taverns," he said. 

When contacted for comment, Emfuleni spokesperson Makhosonke Sangweni said he was not aware of the complaints from residents and the overtime expenditure.

DA’s Emfuleni North constituency head Kingsol Chabalala said there was nothing to show for the overtime money that is being paid to the waste removal employees as months pass without refuse being collected in Emfuleni.

“It is extremely concerning that the waste removal employees are paid exorbitant overtime while Emfuleni townships and suburbs are dirty, which poses a health risk to residents," Chabalala said.

He said this was ridiculous as this municipality is in financial crisis and does not have money to pay its service providers for the services rendered, yet it continues to waste money on overtime.

"The residents are complaining about  lack of regular refuse removal and there are piles of refuse lying around the townships and suburbs in open spaces. Some residents have now opted to burn refuse while some have no option but to illegally dump the refuse in open places or outside the municipality offices. Poor waste management and burning of waste has a negative impact on the environment," he said.

Chabalala said the money that is wasted on waste removal employees could be used to pay the debt owed to Eskom, Rand Water and other creditors to ensure that the residents of Emfuleni have constant access to basic services such as water and electricity.

He said his party was demanding that Maile initiate an urgent investigation on the matter.