Community members in Emfuleni Local Municipality in Gauteng have increasingly assumed responsibility for basic infrastructure upkeep as the municipality struggles to deliver essential services, according to local stakeholders.
Pothole-ridden roads, including those in areas like Stonehaven near the Free State border, are causing significant disruptions and threatening potential tourism growth in the region. Rosemary Anderson, director of the Federated Hospitality Alliance of South Africa, highlighted the visible degradation during a site visit, noting that such conditions have halted regular community events like cycle races that once drew visitors from Gauteng and the Free State.
“Due to the municipality’s ineffectiveness and not being able to supply basic bulk services, it has damaged lives,” Anderson said. She explained that businesses in the hospitality sector are “surviving despite” the challenges, with community groups stepping in to maintain spaces like Phoenix Park by cutting grass and cleaning to prevent it from becoming a rubble dump.
Anderson pointed out that cycle races, which boosted local accommodation, restaurants, and the economy, can no longer take place because of poor roads. Complaints have been raised repeatedly with the Emfuleni Local Municipality, the Gauteng roads department, and the Gauteng premier, but with “no response.” She stressed that government should create an enabling environment for businesses to create jobs and contribute to the economy, particularly in tourism and hospitality, which she described as employing more people per square metre than any other industry.
The area, located metres from the Vaal River, holds strong potential as a tourism hotspot capable of generating hundreds of thousands of jobs, but Anderson said it has instead seen decline. She noted that businesses have had to “overcompensate” for municipal shortcomings, while issues like illegal structures on road reserves and visible rubbish at the entrance to Vanderbijlpark deter visitors, with some mistaking the area for a squatter camp. Local companies, such as a brick manufacturer, reportedly pick up rubbish regularly as residents and businesses fill potholes themselves.
A governance expert from the Vaal University of Technology described the situation as one of continuous failure to render basic services, including sewer leaks, potholes, and inadequate street lighting across most areas governed by the municipality. These are legislated obligations that Emfuleni has not met, the expert said.
The expert recalled that in 2018, Section 139 of the South African Constitution was invoked, placing the municipality under administration due to failures in service delivery, financial management, governance, and political stability, as well as poor stakeholder communication. The expert argued that ongoing issues warrant renewed provincial intervention under the same constitutional provision to restore stability.
The expert referenced the municipality’s financial recovery plan and its implementation plan, noting that while problems are identified, “you would not see implementation.” The expert cited audited financial statements showing accumulating unauthorised expenditures of up to R9.7 billion, with about R2.3 billion in unauthorised spending. The municipality has outsourced 12 service contracts for functions that should be handled in-house, yet service providers often fail to meet service level agreements without apparent consequences.
Revenue collection reached R8.7 billion in the 2024 audited financial statements from exchange and non-exchange transactions, yet basic services continue to deteriorate. The expert also highlighted challenges with overtime management systems, including allegations of nearly R700 million spent on overtime payments.
Efforts to obtain comment from the Emfuleni Local Municipality, including from the mayor, were unsuccessful, with repeated attempts yielding no response. The governance expert suggested a lack of will from both administrative and political structures to address the problems, despite available plans.
The expert advocated for handing the municipality under administration via Section 139, emphasising that government must ensure quality and efficient services. Private partnerships, the expert warned, could prioritise profit over resident needs, and what is required are committed leaders who serve selflessly. The expert pointed to a lack of accountability and transparency, as mitigations in the financial recovery plan remain unimplemented.
Anderson and the governance expert from the Vaal University of Technology both painted a picture of a municipality collecting substantial revenue while residents and businesses experience visible decline, with communities forced to maintain roads, parks, and cleanliness independently. The hospitality sector continues efforts to sustain tourism potential “despite” the challenges, underscoring a broader sentiment of frustration over unfulfilled promises and absent implementation.
