Media Statement: Joint Oversight Delegation Urges Eastern Cape Municipalities to Accelerate Infrastructure Delivery

Parliament, Wednesday, 8 October 2025 - The joint parliamentary oversight delegation, on Tuesday, called for the urgent acceleration of water and infrastructure delivery in Eastern Cape municipalities.The delegation comprising the Portfolio Committee on Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs and the Standing Committee on the Auditor-General engaged with five Eastern Cape municipalities on Tuesday. The municipalities included Koukamma, Blue Crane and Inxuba Yethemba local municipalities, as well as the OR Tambo District Municipality. The delegation halted its engagement with the Sundays River Local Municipality to allow for the MECs for COGTA and Finance to be present to help answer members' questions.Across the municipalities on Tuesday, members identified several weaknesses in service delivery, infrastructure management and governance. The engagements revealed that the municipalities shared many of these challenges - from financial instability to skills shortages and delays in critical water and sanitation projects.On water and infrastructure backlogs, members noted that in municipalities, communities continue to face prolonged water interruptions or poor access to a safe and reliable water supply, as well as ageing infrastructure and incomplete or delayed water and other major infrastructure projects.In the Koukamma municipality, residents have been without a stable water supply for 10 years, members heard, and even when the system is operational, it only runs for a few hours a day. Several water pumping stations also remain unfinished. Members noted that the water purification plant in the municipality, which was built a few years ago, has also been abandoned.In the Blue Crane municipality, members noted that residents often face water shortages alongside electrical outages - a situation that has driven small businesses away. Members called for faster action on infrastructure upgrades in the municipality, especially after learning that less than five per cent of the allocated funds had been spent on major water and energy projects. During the engagement with the OR Tambo municipality, some members expressed concern over the municipality's water infrastructure, which remains under severe strain.Another shared challenge was staff capacity. Members noted the shortage of technical skills and that experienced staff have retired or moved to the private sector, thereby hollowing out much-needed institutional knowledge. Members further noted reports of vacancies, resignations and leadership instability in the Blue Crane municipality. They learned that the stress levels of staff are high due to the workload and low morale, while many resignations stem from burnout and slow recruitment processes. It also takes too long to fill critical positions, which affects service delivery.In discussions with OR Tambo municipality, members noted complaints that the district's firefighting service is either non-functional or severely under-resourced. These questions go to the heart of service delivery, one member noted, because communities rely on municipalities for safety and emergency response.One member of the delegation, Ms Dikeledi Direko, who chaired the sessions with municipalities on Tuesday, urged the municipal leadership to prioritise human capital. "A tired institution cannot deliver effectively. Those with the experience and institutional memory must mentor and guide the next generation," she said.The leader of the delegation, Dr Zweli Mkhize, who is also the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, urged the municipal leadership to embrace the oversight visit as an opportune moment for accountability and renewal. "We expect tangible improvement when we return - in infrastructure delivery, in institutional stability and in the confidence communities have in their municipalities," Dr Mkhize said. "Performance and accountability must go hand in hand."He said municipalities should clearly document problems once they have been identified and take note of where things have gone wrong in the processes, as well as what corrective action is required. "Oversight and management are not just about reacting but about analysing and preventing the same mistakes from happening again."Dr Mkhize said all the discussions on Tuesday come down to accountability, structure and people. "These are the foundations of good governance. When you begin to address the basics - from vacancies to programme execution - you start to build stability and trust."The joint delegation, in collaboration with the Eastern Cape Provincial Legislature, will continue its engagement with municipalities in the Eastern Cape today.ISSUED BY THE PARLIAMENTARY COMMUNICATION SERVICES ON BEHALF OF THE LEADER OF THE JOINT DELEGATION, DR ZWELI MKHIZE.For media enquiries or interviews with the Chairperson, please contact the delegation's media officer:Name: Alicestine October (Ms)Cell: 083 665 4345E-mail: [email protected]