By Johnathan Paoli
The ANC in Sedibeng has sharply condemned opposition parties for walking out of an Emfuleni Local Municipality council sitting on Thursday, following the EFF’s welcome of the move that resulted in the municipality failing for a second time to pass its adjustment budget.
The political standoff has deepened tensions in the struggling Vaal municipality, with the ANC accusing opposition parties of sabotaging governance and the EFF arguing the rejected budget was unlawful and would have worsened the municipality’s financial crisis.
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In a statement on Saturday, ANC Sedibeng Regional Secretary Jason Mkhwane said the Democratic Alliance (DA), EFF and Freedom Front Plus (FF Plus) deliberately refused to participate in the council sitting where the adjustment budget was due to be considered.
“The African National Congress in Sedibeng condemns the refusal by the DA, EFF and FF+ to participate in the Emfuleni Local Municipality council sitting to consider and pass the adjustment budget,” Mkhwane said.
The ANC said the failure to pass the budget had now occurred twice, first on 26 February and again on 12 March, warning that the impasse poses serious risks for service delivery in the municipality.
With 90 councillors in the chamber, at least 46 votes were required to approve the budget, but the opposition walkout left the ANC-led coalition, which includes the PAC, Solidarity and New Horizon, with only 44 councillors.
Mkhwane warned that the deadlock could have immediate financial consequences for the municipality and its residents.
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“This is not a minor procedural issue. It is a serious governance and service delivery matter,” he said.
He also cautioned that continued spending without an approved adjustment budget could lead to unlawful expenditure under the Municipal Finance Management Act (MFMA).
“The failure to pass the adjustment budget has practical consequences. Where certain operational votes have already been spent, the municipality cannot simply continue spending as if nothing has happened. If expenditure continues outside lawful authority, it risks becoming unauthorised expenditure under the MFMA framework,” Mkhwane said,
The ANC further argued that ordinary residents would bear the brunt of the political deadlock.
“Communities already dealing with blocked sewer systems, burst pipes, road deterioration and delayed municipal responses are the ones most likely to feel the impact first,” he said.
However, on Friday, the EFF in Gauteng defended the collapse of the vote, saying it was necessary to prevent what it described as an unfunded and unrealistic budget from being approved.
According to the EFF Gauteng Chairperson Nkululeko Dunga, the budget failed both legally and practically.
“The budget tabled before Council yesterday was unfunded, unrealistic, and not in compliance with the legislation governing municipal finances. Most importantly, it failed to respond to the urgent service delivery needs of the people of Emfuleni,” Dunga said.
He accused the ANC of presiding over the municipality’s financial collapse.
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“As things stand, the municipality sits with almost R1 billion in unpaid invoices owed to companies that have rendered services, while the municipality’s revenue collection rate has fallen below 85%. At the same time, the municipality owes Eskom more than R8 billion and Rand Water over R1.3 billion,” Dunga said.
The EFF said backing the adjustment budget would have meant endorsing worsening service delivery failures.
“For the EFF to support this budget would have meant endorsing the continued collapse of the municipality. It would have meant supporting pothole-ridden roads, uncollected waste, unreliable water and electricity supply, the eviction of vulnerable communities, and the entrenched corruption of the ANC,” the chair said.
The party also accused the ANC of attempting to push the budget through council through an unlawful process.
“We also commend councillors in Emfuleni who rejected the thuggish conduct of the ANC, which attempted to manipulate Council into passing the budget through an illegal process using a simple majority below the 50% threshold required by law,” Dunga said.
The Freedom Front Plus echoed opposition concerns, with FF+ Emfuleni Councillor Gerda Senekal saying the party could not support the adjustment budget due to transparency and financial management issues.
According to the party, tensions escalated after the council speaker insisted that the vote be conducted by secret ballot.
Senekal said financial reports presented to council showed the municipality’s finances were deteriorating and maintained that the party would not back a budget lacking accountability.
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“Our stance is clear, we will not support an unfunded budget that lacks responsibility, accountability, and consequence management. We can no longer ignore those who fail to fulfill their duties. We refuse to stand by while the municipality deteriorates at the expense of its residents,” she said.
With the adjustment budget now stalled, the municipal speaker is expected to approach the Gauteng MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Jacob Mamabolo, and the MEC for Finance, Lebogang Maile, to seek a postponement of the process and allow a new budget to be tabled.
The impasse leaves the municipality facing continued uncertainty over how it will manage its finances and service delivery commitments for the remainder of the financial year ending on 30 June.