Ekurhuleni ANC Raises Alarm over Imminent City Bankruptcy Despite Positive Auditor's Report

In an unexpected turn of events, the African National Congress (ANC) in Ekurhuleni voiced worries about the present status of the city's financial position, warning of an impending bankruptcy. This comes despite recent accolades from the Auditor-General, touting Ekurhuleni as one of the municipalities in Gauteng with reliable and exemplary financial management.

Jongizizwe Dlabathi, the acting regional chairperson for ANC in Ekurhuleni, raised this alarm during a media briefing on Wednesday. He stated with concern, "We are simply in a state of hand-to-mouth as a city and it presents a dire financial state."

The City of Ekurhuleni, currently governed by an ANC-Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) coalition, was celebrated by the Auditor-General for earning three consecutive clean audits. This signified the city's responsible usage of taxpayer funds and affirmed the city’s financial stability.

However, Dlabathi, a critic of the ANC-EFF collaboration, argues that the city's revenue collection has experienced a significant decline under the coalition. This seems to undermine the Auditor-General's favourable review of the city's financial management. As part of his critique, Dlabathi noted that the municipality seems to prioritize initiatives that add no value to the city's financial power and called for an effective revenue strategy to stave off impending bankruptcy.