Emfuleni residents need service delivery not politics

“The Provincial Executive has failed to enforce its mandate of oversight by holding ELM to account for its failure to pay Eskom and Rand Water for far too long, disrupting service delivery of water and electricity,” says OUTA Local Government Manager Michael Holenstein.

The Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (OUTA) was approached, late last week, by concerned residents in Emfuleni Local Municipality (ELM) who received notices of a forced load-shedding due to take place from 8 March 2018.

Given the urgency of the situation OUTA has requested that the MEC respond by close of business Friday 2 March 2018.

“We’re not interested in the politics we simply want the MEC to implement a recovery plan, that sees ELM residents receive the services they have paid for and to ensure that the Constitution of South Africa is upheld.”

This action by OUTA forms part of its local initiative to support residents in the fight against maladministration and to ensure finances are spent on service delivery for all.

“Our approach as an organisation has always been to bridge the gap between residents and government. In doing so, we reassure citizens that no leader is out of reach or “untouchable”. We have the technical expertise and resources to ensure government is held to account at a national, provincial and now at a local level,” added Holenstein.

“We encourage residents of ELM to get behind us as we fight for their right to electricity and water. These are services they paid for and it is due to the maladministration of the ELM municipality that the people are being threatened”.