While the Mayor of the Emfuleni Local Municipality, Sipho Radebe, is conspicuous by his absence, Mayoral Committee Members and the Speaker, Sibongile Soxusa, are left scrambling to find answers to residents’ questions about the Integrated Development Plan (IDP).
Emfuleni (Evaton, Sebokeng, Vaal Oewer, Vanderbijlpark, Vereeniging) has held three meetings in several different areas as part of its public participation process to consider residents’ proposals and questions.
The fact that the Mayor does not attend these meetings and waits until the last moment to appoint a Mayoral Committee Member as acting mayor is unacceptable.
During the meeting with residents of Evaton and Sedibeng, they expressed their frustration with poor service delivery, mismanagement and decades of infrastructure decay.
The Mayoral Committee Member for Finance, Hassen Mako, attended the meeting but could provide no meaningful input. His attendance was symbolic rather than significant.
In terms of the Municipal Structures Act, the Municipality is obliged to ensure that the Mayor and his team are actively involved in the public participation process for drafting the IDP and budget.
The same Act places a responsibility on the Mayor to provide political leadership when both documents are drafted.
Through his absence, the Mayor not only breaks the bond of trust with voters but also fails to fulfil his legal duties.
Sending a delegation may be acceptable in certain cases, but is not standard practice, particularly not when communities are in distress and demand accountability.
Emfuleni residents have been plagued by corruption, failing service delivery and financial mismanagement under ANC rule for decades.
These IDP budget meetings are one of the few ways in which communities can voice their concerns and influence the future of their areas.
The Mayor’s absence is thus not only a political transgression, but also a betrayal of the people of Emfuleni.
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