By 
JOHANNESBURG — In a major push to rescue the embattled Emfuleni Local Municipality from its ongoing governance and financial crises, Gauteng MEC for Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA), Jacob Mamabolo, led a high-level intervention meeting on Thursday.
The engagement, part of the ongoing Section 154(1) support intervention, focused on evaluating the municipality’s turnaround progress and aligning its newly established leadership.
MEC Mamabolo met with Emfuleni’s newly elected Executive Mayor, Cllr Hassan Mako, and his Mayoral Committee. Underscoring the severity of the situation, Sedibeng District Municipality Executive Mayor, Cllr Lerato Maloka, also joined the oversight discussions to reinforce the district’s legislative mandate to monitor, support, and coordinate inter-governmental planning within its local municipalities.
Following the leadership talks, MEC Mamabolo formally introduced Mayor Mako and the new political executive to the broader municipal staff administration. The move is aimed at fostering organizational cohesion and mobilizing the workforce behind restoring the municipality’s failing service delivery capacity.
Tackling the Waste Crisis and Financial Woes
The high-level talks focused heavily on Emfuleni’s severe waste management crisis. It was noted that the municipality recently opened its first waste transfer station in Sebokeng and has procured new waste management trucks to reduce collection delays. To address long-term landfill capacity limits, Mamabolo confirmed that the provincial department will issue a new operating license for a landfill site. Additionally, the province announced a massive clean-up campaign scheduled for July 18, 2026, coinciding with Nelson Mandela International Day.
However, Mayor Mako raised concerns regarding significant immigration challenges affecting waste handling and law enforcement, calling for urgent provincial and national intervention.
The municipality’s financial instability remains a deep concern. Emfuleni recently adopted an unfunded budget for the 2026/27 financial year, triggering critical fiscal sustainability alarms. In response, the administration is enforcing strict controls on overtime expenditure to reduce bloated payroll costs. The meeting also addressed National Treasury’s recent temporary withholding of equitable share transfers, viewed as a stern enforcement mechanism requiring immediate corrective actions.
Landmark Water Intervention and Economic Renewal
A major highlight of the turnaround strategy is the activation of the Vaal Corporation Water Utility (VCWU), which became operational on July 1, 2026. The VCWU is South Africa’s first public-public Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV), established through a strategic partnership between Rand Water and Emfuleni’s Metsi-a-Lekwa unit to manage and rehabilitate water services.
The intervention comes at a critical time, as Emfuleni currently loses approximately 70% of its water to non-revenue losses and has burned through roughly R79 million on emergency water tankering over the last five years. The newly formed SPV is expected to ring-fence R1.3 billion of historical debt owed to Rand Water.
Looking toward economic recovery, Mamabolo stressed that the revitalization of the Central Business Districts (CBDs) in Vereeniging, Vanderbijlpark, and Sebokeng must be accelerated. The municipality has been urged to partner closely with the business community to unlock massive infrastructure upgrades across local road networks, water systems, and electricity grids.
A Call for Discipline and Accountability
MEC Mamabolo emphasized that while structural foundations are being laid, there is no room for complacency.
“The work of rebuilding Emfuleni requires discipline, cooperation, and consistent monitoring,” Mamabolo stated. “The introduction of the new political leadership to the administration marks an important step toward stability. We are encouraged by the activation of the SPV, the procurement of new waste trucks, and the planned clean-up campaign on Mandela Day. However, much more remains to be done, particularly on financial recovery, landfill licensing, and law enforcement”.
The Gauteng provincial government and the Sedibeng District Municipality reaffirmed their commitment to maintaining strict, hands-on oversight to ensure Emfuleni fulfills its constitutional duties to its residents.
