The Emfuleni Local Municipality (Evaton, Sebokeng, Vaal Oewer, Vanderbijlpark, Vereeniging) received a qualified audit report from the Auditor-General (AG) for the 2021/22 financial year.
This can only be attributed to the ANC's mismanagement of the Municipality.
The Municipality's irregular expenditure amounts to R232 305 800, wasteful and fruitless expenditure amounts to R827 881 210 and unauthorised expenditure amounts to R2 708 864 475.
The root causes include a lack of accountability and poor performance in managerial positions.
Power losses in the Municipality equal 23%, or R598 million, and water losses 63,7%, or R733 million, of the total bulk purchases.
Illegal power and water connections as well as water leakages contribute to these losses.
The report makes it abundantly clear that the Municipality's ability to continue as a going concern is doubtful.
Municipal buildings are dilapidated and were not maintained properly nor secured against theft or vandalism.
No reasonable measures were implemented to prevent sewage pollution.
The quality of the effluents at the wastewater treatment plants does not meet the requirements of license conditions as contained in the National Water Act.
Tests to determine the quality of these effluents were conducted eight months ago, but after that no measures were implemented to comply with the legal prescripts.
The AG's recommendations to the Municipality are:
• Vacancies must be filled;
• Internal control must be intensified;
• The AG's findings and the causes indicated in the report must be addressed;
• Recommendations and advice must be implemented to prevent repetition;
• Measures to ensure performance must be put in place;
• Risk-management processes must be reinforced.
The outcome of the AG's report comes as no surprise to the FF Plus.
Residents endure the effects of the Municipality's mismanagement daily. Refuse disposal occurs sporadically, roads are crumbling and sewage flows freely in the streets. There is no sign of proper service delivery.
Like the AG, the FF Plus has been pointing out for some time that Emfuleni can no longer function as a going concern.
Emfuleni deserves better than the incompetent ANC.
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