News

Nov 01, 2024

Emfuleni solar high mast lights inflated by over R3,7 million while residents lack basic services

Note to Editors: Please find attached English soundbite by Kingsol Chabalala MPL. The Emfuleni Local Municipality (ELM) has installed nine solar high-mast lights at an inflated price of R3 742 893,36.

Note to Editors: Please find attached English soundbite by Kingsol Chabalala MPL.

The Emfuleni Local Municipality (ELM) has installed nine solar high-mast lights at an inflated price of R3 742 893,36. This decision comes amid a serious service delivery and financial crisis, during which the municipality has struggled to pay its debts and provide quality basic services to its residents.

This information was revealed by the Gauteng MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA), Jacob Mamabolo, in a written reply to the questions tabled by the Democratic Alliance’s (DA) in the Gauteng Provincial Legislature (GPL). According to MEC Mamabolo, Emfuleni hired Ngwato Engineering Services to install nine solar high mast lights for R8 280 000.

See the reply here.

In the DA-led Midvaal, where residents get value for money and there is accountability on how public money is spent, two of the same solar high-mast lights were installed for R1 008 245,92. This is an equivalent of R504 122, 96 for each light. While Emfuleni, with a budget of R8 280 000, could have installed 16 solar high-mast lights instead of nine. This means that Emfuleni spent R920 000 per light in comparison with Midvaal; they have overspent by R415 877,04 on each solar light.

Emfuleni’s decision to install these lights at such an overly inflated price raises suspicions and questions about possible corruption in the procurement of these lights. It also raises questions about resource allocation and prioritisation of essential services in the municipality. This is a dazzling waste, especially in a municipality facing serious issues: there are unpaid debts to Eskom, Rand Water, and other creditors; refuse is not being collected; roads are filled with potholes; and sewage is flooding streets, jeopardising the health of residents.

This money could have gone a long way to address service delivery needs and reduce debt in Emfuleni. Yet, it has been wasted on high mast lights, which stand as a beacon of ratepayers’ money in the dark of lingering debt and poor service delivery.

The DA demands that the MEC Mamabolo crack the whip on Emfuleni and ensure that this municipality gets its budget priorities straight. Facing imminent collapse, Emfuleni cannot afford to engage in wasteful and irrational spending. In addition, we demand that the Gauteng Provincial Government send financial experts to Emfuleni to assist with financial management and resource allocation to ensure that the municipality’s coffers are spent wisely for the benefit of the residents.

As with Midvaal, the DA would have ensured Emfuleni manages its spending effectively, prioritises service delivery, and directs resources to those who need them most—the residents.

The DA is dedicated to holding the ANC-led Emfuleni accountable, urging it to adopt best practices demonstrated in municipalities where we govern. Every resident in our province deserves exceptional service delivery, and we will advocate tirelessly to ensure that becomes a reality.