Rand Water has, for the fourth time since 2023, seized the bank account of the Emfuleni Local Municipality (Evaton, Sebokeng, Vaal Oewer, Vanderbijlpark, Vereeniging).
This leaves Emfuleni with scarcely any funds to cover its salary obligations, deliver services or pay contractors and bulk suppliers.
During a recent council meeting, Emfuleni approved a resolution allowing water consumers to settle their bills directly with Rand Water, similar to arrangements with Eskom. This arrangement was set to take effect on 1 July due to the Municipality’s failure to settle its outstanding water bill of R1,3 billion with Rand Water. Despite this decision, Rand Water has once again seized the Municipality’s bank account.
As a result, Emfuleni will only receive revenue from consumers for sewerage, refuse removal and property rates, which is not nearly enough to run the Municipality effectively.
The forced privatisation of services exacerbates the Municipality’s already dire financial situation, which continues to deteriorate daily due to mismanagement and poor service delivery.
For years, there has not been enough funds to provide services to residents or to maintain and repair infrastructure.
If the Municipality had been run properly from the outset and used tax money for its intended purpose, there would be no need to shift its responsibility to Eskom and Rand Water.
These two bulk suppliers, which are now compelling the Municipality to channel consumers’ payments directly to them, are the only ones gaining anything from this situation.
For instance, Eskom’s outstanding bill of R180 million for supplying electricity to the Municipality was fully paid in April for the first time in seven years.
The Freedom Front Plus (VF Plus) sent a letter to Emfuleni’s Municipal Manager, Mr April Ntuli, seeking clarity on whether the agreement between the Municipality and Rand Water, which had been approved during the council meeting, is still in place.
It is doubtful whether Emfuleni will succeed in pulling the Municipality out of this quagmire.
The only real solution is to oust the ruling ANC party from Emfuleni at the polls.
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