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The Star
6 days ago
- The Star
DA slams Emfuleni municipality for R15 million cemetery outsourcing blunder
The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Emfuleni has slammed the municipality for wasting R15 million on outsourced cemetery services, accusing officials of reckless spending while residents continue to suffer from collapsing infrastructure and poor service delivery. This comes after Kingsol Chabalala, the DA's constituency head for Emfuleni North, revealed that over the past five financial years (2019–2024), the municipality spent a staggering R15 million paying 65 different service providers for basic cemetery maintenance and grass-cutting. 'This spending is concerning, as the municipality has a Parks and Recreation Department equipped with full-time employees and the necessary equipment to handle these tasks.' Chabalala further stated that the DA will be submitting formal questions to Gauteng MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA), Jacob Mamabolo, to clarify the roles and responsibilities of the municipality's current staff, particularly in light of the ongoing outsourcing of duties they are employed to perform. Previously, IOL reported in detail on the growing concern around neglected cemeteries in Emfuleni, situated in the Vaal Triangle, which have become dangerous hotspots for criminal activity. Due to the municipality's failure to maintain these graveyards, leaving them overgrown with tall grass and surrounded by broken fencing, criminals have found ideal hiding places to operate in. Evaton resident Nomsa Macha expressed frustration over the lack of basic facilities at the local cemeteries, noting that there are no toilets or access to water available on-site. 'There is no security, and I was once robbed at gunpoint inside the graveyard. I hear people complaining about the same thing.' She added that it's difficult to locate her family's graves as they are hidden beneath thick weeds and overgrown grass. Another resident, Lebohang Mabitle, echoed Macha's concerns, saying they frequently hear gunshots coming from the graveyard, making the area feel unsafe. 'And we are also struggling to find our family graves because the grass keeps growing and the municipality never sends people to come and cut it,' she said. However, Emfuleni Municipality Communications Manager Makhosonke Sangweni dismissed the allegations, stating that the municipality has systems in place to maintain cemeteries across the region. He explained that graveyards are cleaned on a rotational basis and that the municipality is fulfilling its mandate by cutting grass, pruning trees, and maintaining the overall grounds. Sangweni clarified that while the municipality ensures the general upkeep of the cemetery environment, the responsibility for maintaining individual gravesites lies with the respective families. He maintained that the municipality continues to do its part despite resource constraints and urged residents to distinguish between municipal responsibilities and personal obligations in cemetery care. He added that the use of external contractors is intended to support the municipality's efforts, especially given challenges like limited staffing and insufficient equipment. According to Sangweni, outsourcing is a practical solution to ensure essential services, such as cemetery maintenance, are carried out effectively despite internal resource constraints. 'It is not true that Parks and Cemeteries are fully equipped. In Parks, there are employees who do grass-cutting, and they do. The Municipality has just procured equipment valued at R1.7 million to support the grass-cutting service at Parks. However, during rainy seasons, grass grows fast. This is when complementary services are required.' Sangweni further explained that cemeteries are currently staffed only with caretakers who assist in coordinating funerals, but not with grave-digging. He added that the municipality is exploring the possibility of reinstating a dedicated grave-digging team. However, this plan would require acquiring the necessary equipment, which the municipality currently lacks. When asked about the payment breakdown for each service provider from 2019 to 2024, he said contracts are usually signed for three-year periods. Sangweni said staff will be urged to upkeep cemeteries, and called on residents to report crime. 'We encourage our employees to maintain cemetery grounds, and the public must report any criminal activity to the Municipality and SAPS,' he said. The Star sought comment from the Office of the MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA), but the department had not responded to queries at the time of going to print. The Star [email protected]
IOL News
6 days ago
- IOL News
DA slams Emfuleni municipality for R15 million cemetery outsourcing blunder
The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Emfuleni has slammed the municipality for wasting R15 million on outsourced cemetery services, accusing officials of reckless spending while residents continue to suffer from collapsing infrastructure and poor service delivery. This comes after Kingsol Chabalala, the DA's constituency head for Emfuleni North, revealed that over the past five financial years (2019–2024), the municipality spent a staggering R15 million paying 65 different service providers for basic cemetery maintenance and grass-cutting. 'This spending is concerning, as the municipality has a Parks and Recreation Department equipped with full-time employees and the necessary equipment to handle these tasks.' Chabalala further stated that the DA will be submitting formal questions to Gauteng MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA), Jacob Mamabolo, to clarify the roles and responsibilities of the municipality's current staff, particularly in light of the ongoing outsourcing of duties they are employed to perform. Previously, IOL reported in detail on the growing concern around neglected cemeteries in Emfuleni, situated in the Vaal Triangle, which have become dangerous hotspots for criminal activity. Due to the municipality's failure to maintain these graveyards, leaving them overgrown with tall grass and surrounded by broken fencing, criminals have found ideal hiding places to operate in. Evaton resident Nomsa Macha expressed frustration over the lack of basic facilities at the local cemeteries, noting that there are no toilets or access to water available on-site. 'There is no security, and I was once robbed at gunpoint inside the graveyard. I hear people complaining about the same thing.' She added that it's difficult to locate her family's graves as they are hidden beneath thick weeds and overgrown grass. Another resident, Lebohang Mabitle, echoed Macha's concerns, saying they frequently hear gunshots coming from the graveyard, making the area feel unsafe. 'And we are also struggling to find our family graves because the grass keeps growing and the municipality never sends people to come and cut it,' she said. However, Emfuleni Municipality Communications Manager Makhosonke Sangweni dismissed the allegations, stating that the municipality has systems in place to maintain cemeteries across the region. He explained that graveyards are cleaned on a rotational basis and that the municipality is fulfilling its mandate by cutting grass, pruning trees, and maintaining the overall grounds. Sangweni clarified that while the municipality ensures the general upkeep of the cemetery environment, the responsibility for maintaining individual gravesites lies with the respective families. He maintained that the municipality continues to do its part despite resource constraints and urged residents to distinguish between municipal responsibilities and personal obligations in cemetery care. He added that the use of external contractors is intended to support the municipality's efforts, especially given challenges like limited staffing and insufficient equipment. According to Sangweni, outsourcing is a practical solution to ensure essential services, such as cemetery maintenance, are carried out effectively despite internal resource constraints. 'It is not true that Parks and Cemeteries are fully equipped. In Parks, there are employees who do grass-cutting, and they do. The Municipality has just procured equipment valued at R1.7 million to support the grass-cutting service at Parks. However, during rainy seasons, grass grows fast. This is when complementary services are required.' Sangweni further explained that cemeteries are currently staffed only with caretakers who assist in coordinating funerals, but not with grave-digging. He added that the municipality is exploring the possibility of reinstating a dedicated grave-digging team. However, this plan would require acquiring the necessary equipment, which the municipality currently lacks. When asked about the payment breakdown for each service provider from 2019 to 2024, he said contracts are usually signed for three-year periods. Sangweni said staff will be urged to upkeep cemeteries, and called on residents to report crime. 'We encourage our employees to maintain cemetery grounds, and the public must report any criminal activity to the Municipality and SAPS,' he said. The Star sought comment from the Office of the MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA), but the department had not responded to queries at the time of going to print. The Star
TimesLIVE
21-07-2025
- Politics
- TimesLIVE
Orange Farm library doors remain closed a year after handover
The handing over of a library to Orange Farm residents five days before elections last year was a political stunt by the Gauteng government aimed at swaying their votes because the multimillion rand facility is still not open to the public more than a year later. This is the view of the DA in Gauteng and some Orange Farm residents who have cried foul over the suspiciously timed handover of the R13.7m 'state-of-the-art' library just days before the general elections in May last year. 'If you look at the timing of the opening, it looks like it was political. They wanted us to vote for them [ANC]; it was a campaign of some sort. You never know,' said a resident who asked to remain anonymous. Despite the fanfare during the handover, the library in Drieziek remains quiet, its doors locked with dust piling on the windows. Outside, the grounds are showing signs of neglect, with the newly planted grass beginning to wither under the sun. The facility, which took nearly a decade to complete, was ceremoniously handed over by then Gauteng sport, arts, culture and recreation MEC Morakane Mosupyoe, five days before the polls. But according to the department, the City of Johannesburg was not ready to take over or operate the facility. The answer to a question by the DA's Kingsol Chabalala in the legislature last week shows more than R3m was also paid to 10 security companies to guard the facility during construction.
The Citizen
17-06-2025
- The Citizen
Road not upgraded despite millions being spent
EVATON – The DA in Gauteng has expressed outrage after learning that the Gauteng Department of Roads and Transport has not upgraded the Evaton Road, from Adams to Selbourne Street. DA MPL Kingsol Chabalala says this is despite the promises made by former Gauteng Premier, David Makhura, in 2016 that the Gauteng Government would refurbish the road. 'This road remains in terrible condition. It is unrehabilitated and poses a safety risk for motorists and pedestrians, contradicting the Gauteng Department of Transport and Logistics MEC, Kedibone Diale-Tlabela's claim that the road was upgraded and the project was well implemented. ' In response to a question from the DA in the Gauteng Provincial Legislature (GPL), Diale-Tlabela stated that R23.4m was paid to two service providers and R8.6m to 12 subcontractors for the upgrade of Evaton Road; this amount totals R32m. She further explained that the project was initiated on 17 October 2016 and completed on 30 August 2017, and that the department is happy with the work done, as the project was well implemented. Chabalala says they will request the chairperson of the Roads and Transport Portfolio Committee in the Gauteng Provincial Legislature to arrange an oversight inspection to assess the state of the roads. 'Should the committee confirm that the roads were not upgraded. We will report the MEC to the GPL Ethics Committee for misleading the House that the road was upgraded.' At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
Eyewitness News
12-06-2025
- Automotive
- Eyewitness News
R87m Sebokeng DLTC still incomplete ten years after starting construction
JOHANNESBURG - It's been ten years since the Gauteng government began constructing a Driving Licence Testing Centre (DLTC) in the Vaal, yet the project remains incomplete. Construction of the Sebokeng DLTC began in 2015, with its completion initially planned for the following year. A decade later, its construction is still not finished despite R87 million already spent, including costs for a private security company. What was once envisioned by the Gauteng government to be buzzing with learner drivers in 2025 now stands abandoned with no sign of life. Ceilings have collapsed on every floor, while the grass outside grows taller by the day. The construction of the Sebokeng DLTC was originally budgeted at R63 million, but the cost soared to over R80 million. The Democratic Alliance (DA)'s Kingsol Chabalala said it comes as no surprise that millions have been wasted. "The ANC [African National Congress] cannot govern. They cannot manage projects very well. They cannot complete projects on time and within budget." The reconstruction of the DLTC is expected to resume on Friday, marking ten years since it first began. ALSO READ: Gauteng govt to inject additional R138m to complete construction of Sebokeng DLTC
