ActionSA has pointed to what it describes as a glaring contradiction in a written response from the embattled Emfuleni Local Municipality to questions raised in the Gauteng provincial legislature.
The municipality stated that it has identified no so-called ghost employees and suffered no financial losses. However, the same response confirms that 22 municipal employees remain on paid suspension, with the cost to taxpayers reaching nearly R24 million to date. Some of these officials have reportedly been on full pay while suspended for over six years.
ActionSA Gauteng Caucus Leader Funzi Ngobeni described the situation as evidence of deep governance failures and ongoing financial mismanagement. “They say there are no ghost workers and they say there are no financial losses, but their own documents show that they’ve paid nearly 24 million to 22 officials who are sitting at home on suspension,” Ngobeni said.
He argued that prolonged suspensions contradict the intended short-term nature of such measures, which are meant to allow time for investigations. “When cases drag for this long, it only tells you that the system is broken… public money is being wasted and there’s no accountability,” Ngobeni added. He called for urgent consequence management and for those responsible to be held accountable.
Emfuleni has long struggled with persistent service delivery challenges, including issues with water supply, sewage leaks, potholes, and collapsed infrastructure. Ngobeni questioned how residents facing these problems could accept their taxes funding officials who are not working. “While residents are dealing with water issues… the municipality is paying millions to officials who are not working, who are just sitting at home. And that’s the real cost of what we call weak governance,” he stated.
The party also referenced a separate R16 million fleet procurement matter, in which the municipality procured 16 vehicles but received only six, with one of those later reported missing. Ngobeni criticised Gauteng MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Jacob Mamabolo for initially stating he could not intervene, arguing that provincial government has a constitutional duty to exercise oversight and hold municipalities accountable rather than abdicate responsibility.
In a positive development noted during the discussion, the Emfuleni municipal manager has since opened a criminal case against officials implicated in the fleet procurement issue. Ngobeni welcomed this step but emphasised the need for follow-through and broader accountability, stating that action often follows only after external pressure.
When asked what ActionSA would prioritise if it gained influence in the municipality, Ngobeni said the focus would not be on new laws but on implementing existing ones with political will. “What is needed in Emfuleni is people that… will be able to say here is a misuse of funds… and to be decisive [and] take action,” he explained. The party intends to contest the upcoming elections in the municipality and aims to secure seats to drive visible turnaround.
The municipality had been approached for comment on the suspensions but declined to participate, citing ongoing investigations into the matter.
This latest scrutiny adds to Emfuleni’s ongoing challenges with financial management and service delivery, as highlighted by ActionSA’s push for stronger oversight from both municipal and provincial levels.