SOWETAN | Emfuleni deserves leaders with integrity

The Emfuleni municipality is set to be one of the areas of focus as we cover the build-up to the November 4 local government elections.

For far too long, this municipality has been left to deteriorate, largely because the media has traditionally concentrated on the big metros such as Johannesburg, Tshwane and Ekurhuleni.

Emfuleni, the forgotten corner of Gauteng, has slipped into neglect. Recently, however, a number of media outlets have begun to shine a spotlight on this troubled municipality, exposing the scale of its collapse.

This newspaper has carried a series of reports detailing how infrastructure in Emfuleni has been allowed to crumble. Residents have shared harrowing accounts of how they are forced to jump over streams of raw sewage when leaving their homes.

The municipality has deteriorated to this level because there has been little oversight of its affairs.

Our front-page story yesterday revealed how the council spent R24m on an open field under the pretext of building a sports complex there.

To this day, there is nothing to show for the millions spent. The complex was supposed to include soccer fields, basketball and tennis courts, an outdoor gym and other recreational facilities. Instead, the site has degenerated into an illegal dumping ground and a crime hotspot, leaving residents fearful and angry.

The municipality insists that the money was spent on bulk infrastructure and claims that a further R160m is required to complete the project.

A spokesperson explained that the project was abandoned after the cooperative governance and traditional affairs department instructed the municipality to redirect funds to address sanitation infrastructure. But residents say there is no evidence that any attempt has been made to deal with the sewage problem in their communities. The big question is where did the R24m go?

There is an urgent need for a thorough investigation into this project. Residents deserve to know how this money was spent and who benefitted. Without such a probe, politicians and municipal officials will never be held accountable.

Most importantly, the people of Emfuleni must use their vote to elect leaders who will deal decisively with the service delivery failures that have plagued the area.

It cannot be business as usual. The residents of Emfuleni deserve leaders who will restore their dignity by removing sewage from the streets, providing clean running water, and building and completing facilities for children − facilities that will keep them safe, engaged, and off the streets.