Top South African city spent R659 million on infrastructure which residents cannot use or benefit from

The City of Ekurhuleni spent R659 million on infrastructure which is completed but remains unopened and of no benefit to its residents.

As a result, the City of Ekurhuleni, its mayor, and its acting city manager face a complaint before the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC).

The City of Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality is one of the major municipalities in Gauteng and forms the core eastern region of the Witwatersrand.

The commercial and industrial towns in the municipality include Germiston, Kempton Park, Boksburg, Benoni, Alberton, Brakpan, Springs, Edenvale, and Bedfordview.

It also incorporates many prominent townships, including Tembisa, Katlehong, Vosloorus, Daveyton, Kwa-Thema, and Tsakane.

Historically driven by gold mining, Ekurhuleni has transitioned into South Africa’s primary manufacturing hub.

Its economy relies heavily on industrial production, including structural steel, heavy machinery, chemical processing, automotive components, and food production.

It is also home to the O.R. Tambo International Airport in Kempton Park, making Ekurhuleni the entry point for international freight and air travel in South Africa.

Despite its importance to the South African economy, Ekurhuleni has faced numerous governance and service delivery problems.

Since the 2021 municipal elections yielded a hung council, Ekurhuleni has experienced recurring instability driven by fragile coalition politics.

This, in turn, has harmed its governance, resulting in increased debt to bulk service suppliers, operational disruptions, and service delivery problems.

It has also seen much of its infrastructure deteriorate, including its water systems, road network, and electricity grid.

Simply put, the municipality is collapsing, and residents are experiencing this in declining living standards.

R659 million of unused infrastructure

One of the problems in the City of Ekurhuleni is that millions are spent on things which do not improve its residents’ lives.

Khathutshelo Rasilingwane, a member of the Gauteng Provincial Legislature, provided details about this problem.

She said that R659 million worth of infrastructure is listed by the City of Ekurhuleni as “completed but remains unopened.”

The figure was revealed in an official response to questions she submitted to Gauteng MEC for Infrastructure Development and COGTA, Jacob Mamabolo.

“The failure to open publicly funded facilities in Ekurhuleni is no longer just a service delivery scandal. It is a human rights matter,” she said.

She pointed to many large projects where millions were spent but where the facilities are not operational.

• The R123 million Selcourt Reservoir is awaiting municipal services, including a pump station and substation.

• The R115 million Modder East Reservoir is awaiting the construction of a pump station.

• The R107 million Masechba Reservoir project requires a transformer.

She said residents continue without water when dams are nearly full, but critical infrastructure meant to strengthen the water supply remains incomplete.

The scandal extends beyond water. Early Childhood Development centres worth over R46 million in Vosloorus and Eden Park have remained unopened since 2018.

A R108 million skills and enterprise centre in Reiger Park is also not serving young people desperate for economic opportunities.

“These failures have real consequences for families, children and communities who are denied the services their public money was meant to provide,” she said.

She said that the SAHRC complaint against the City of Ekurhuleni calls for an urgent investigation into the City’s violation of constitutional rights.

These include the right to access sufficient water, children’s rights, and the right for human dignity.

“We are also seeking action to get completed facilities operational and accountability from those responsible,” she said.