Deputy Minister Masemola Leads Governance Intervention in Emfuleni

In a bold move to address deep-rooted governance failures and chronic service delivery issues, Deputy Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA), Dr. Namane Dickson Masemola, is spearheading an intergovernmental accountability mission to the troubled Emfuleni Local Municipality. This intervention, taking place today, is a key feature of the national "Every Municipality Must Work" campaign and represents a concerted effort to turn around dysfunctional local government structures under the District Development Model (DDM) framework.

Why Emfuleni?

Located in the Sedibeng District of Gauteng, Emfuleni Local Municipality has long been plagued by serious governance and service delivery failures. It has become a symbol of municipal decay, grappling with:

• Rampant financial mismanagement

• Inadequate service delivery, especially water and sanitation

• Aging and collapsing infrastructure

• Mounting debt to service providers, including Eskom and Rand Water

• Administrative instability and weak oversight

Residents have repeatedly protested against poor services, with issues like persistent sewage spills, power outages, and deteriorating roads becoming the norm. The municipality has been under various forms of intervention since as far back as 2018, yet the problems persist.

The Purpose of the Visit

The Deputy Minister's visit signals a renewed commitment to enforce accountability and rebuild municipal capacity. According to CoGTA, the engagement will prioritize:

• Identifying operational bottlenecks that hinder effective governance

• Evaluating leadership accountability and the state of the administration

• Exploring direct support mechanisms to improve service delivery

• Establishing clear performance expectations under the DDM

The DDM seeks to align planning and implementation across all spheres of government—local, provincial, and national—to ensure that municipalities like Emfuleni receive integrated and well-coordinated support.

Engaging Stakeholders on the Ground

Dr. Masemola is set to meet with Emfuleni’s leadership, municipal officials, and community stakeholders at the Emfuleni Municipal Offices. According to the department, the initial session of the meeting will be open to media coverage, with interviews scheduled with key government figures.

The visit is also expected to include a first-hand assessment of key service delivery sites, where the Deputy Minister will observe infrastructure and engage with affected residents and civil society representatives.

Background: A Municipality in Crisis

In recent years, Emfuleni has faced a host of challenges:

• National Treasury flagged its audit outcomes as poor

• Eskom threatened large-scale disconnections due to unpaid bills

• The Municipal Infrastructure Support Agent (MISA) had to intervene on numerous occasions to fix collapsed sewer networks and water systems

• The Auditor-General’s office consistently reported lack of consequence management and unauthorised, irregular, and fruitless expenditure

Despite these red flags, turnaround strategies have faltered due to political instability, lack of capacity, and weak intergovernmental coordination—issues that the DDM-led engagement seeks to remedy.

Looking Ahead

Deputy Minister Masemola's intervention is part of a broader national strategy to enforce performance in local government and shift the tide in municipalities that have become synonymous with dysfunction. Emfuleni, in particular, has been identified as a priority site, where sustainable governance reform is not only possible but urgently necessary.

As South Africa navigates pressing developmental challenges, the CoGTA-led approach underscores that every municipality must function effectively to meet constitutional obligations and deliver dignity to its residents.