Save Emfuleni ‘cesspit’ – Outa

The Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (Outa) yesterday called on the South African Human Rights Commission to order an intervention and financial rescue plan for Emfuleni local municipality.

The commission has been holding hearings this week into whether the pollution of the Vaal River in the municipality violates human rights.

Outa said it had made written and verbal submission to the commission on the collapse of Emfuleni’s finances and service delivery, particularly the sewerage system which has resulted in the pollution of both Emfuleni and surrounding rivers including the Vaal.

“Emfuleni has effectively collapsed. Outa wants the commission to order the Gauteng government to intervene in Emfuleni, in terms of its constitutional obligations,” Outa’s manager for local governance Michael Holenstein said.

“We want the commission to order the province to implement a financial rescue plan and a turnaround strategy package for Emfuleni and we want the community and civil society to be involved in those processes.

“The collapse of the municipality and the failure by provincial and national government to intervene leaves the Emfuleni residents facing sewage spills, electricity and water cuts with no recourse,” he said.

Holenstein said Outa had attempted to engage with Emfuleni management, the provincial and national departments of cooperative governance as well as Gauteng Premier David Makhura with little success.

Outa’s written submission to the commission says “Emfuleni, the former industrial heartland of Gauteng which created employment and wealth for the communities of Sebokeng, Vanderbijlpark, Vereeniging and Sharpeville, has now become a cesspit”. – ANA