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The Congress of South African Trade Unions in Gauteng is extremely worried about the service delivery challenges at Emfuleni Municipality in Sedibeng. Since the 2016 local government elections, the people of Emfuleni have not received the services they deserve and voted for. The municipality is experiencing persistent shortage of water supply, electricity, sewage spills and poor maintenance of road infrastructure.

The municipality has since the 2016 local government elections deployed three mayors of which one was expelled and the other one was redeployed after he was elected as the ANC Provincial Secretary. It has been reported that the deployees both politically and administratively are responsible for the collapse of the municipality. 

This collapse is a direct effect of factional battles in the ANC to the extent that not only the ANC is suffering but service delivery too. Whilst the ANC is at war with itself in that area, it is the people who voted it into power who are suffering the most.

Whilst we appreciate the intervention of the provincial government since 2018, these interventions are not assisting and have not resolved service delivery challenges. COSATU in Gauteng condemns the attitude of those deployed in the municipality in the strongest terms. That municipality and its resources belong to the people of Sebokeng, Everton, Tshepong, Sharpvelle, Vereeniging, Vanderbjilpark etc, and not corrupt factions of the ANC. 

For these reasons, we call the MEC of COGTA to dissolve the municipality with immediate effect and put it under administration as a matter of urgency. In case the municipality is not put under administration, COSATU will have no option but to join communities to frogmarch all councillors out of the municipality.

Beyond the call to put the municipality under administration, we further call on the law enforcement agencies to implement a number of recommendations of investigations conducted and demand for the perpetrators to be arrest and tried in court as a matter of agency. 

Issued by COSATU