Service Delivery on ‘Skeleton Staff’ under EFF-led Coalition
by Cllr. Lornette Joseph — DA Ward Councillor in Ekurhuleni
Date: 23 December 2023
Release: Immediate
Type: Media Statement
Under the EFF-led coalition, the City of Ekurhuleni is currently facing multiple challenges with its failing infrastructure and lack of service delivery. These issues are primarily caused by a shortage of staff, equipment, and vehicles. Additionally, many departments are understaffed, resulting in insufficient overtime to cover the increasing workload.
To exacerbate the situation, for the first time, the Service Delivery Coordination Department will be operating with skeleton staff — leaving residents and businesses with limited hope of having any service delivery queries resolved, or even answered.
It is alleged that some employees are working remotely during this period, while others are situated in different offices throughout the metro. Calls are being forwarded from the call centre to these remote locations, leading to further delays in response time.
Unfortunately, the city recently decided that only ten staff members would handle the influx of calls during the festive season. The Democratic Alliance in the City of Ekurhuleni believes that this number is not sufficient, especially considering that the call centre has received 1,136,520 calls since January 1, 2023. In December 2022 alone, the call centre received 106,185 calls, and it is anticipated that this number will only increase as the city’s infrastructure and services continue to deteriorate.
The DA continue to monitor service delivery issues during the festive period and will be requesting reports following this period.
The EFF-ANC Coalition of Corruption is only interested in political grandstanding and not service delivery.
The DA oversight teams on Corporate and shared services and Oversight Committee over the Mayor and Legislature (OCMOL) will scrutinise these decisions and the call centre reports of the 2nd Quarter thoroughly. Governance decisions have consequences; officials and their political principals needs to be held accountable when residents are failed in a city’s governance mandate.
Cllr. Lornette Joseph
DA Ward Councillor in Ekurhuleni
083 847 4510
