SERVICE DELIVERY HAS FAILED

Ronald Mhlakaza

Empumelelweni, a township in eMalahleni, faces severe infrastructure breakdown. Streets have eroded into trenches, drainage systems are broken, and waste flows openly where children should be walking. Service delivery has failed. Roads are collapsing, sewage leaks into public spaces, and litter accumulates without removal. Five years of complaints from Empumelelweni residents to the municipality remain unanswered.

This crisis is unfolding in Empumelelweni, part of eMalahleni in Mpumalanga, a community already burdened by coal‑related pollution and inequality.

The deterioration has been ongoing for 10 years now, worsening with each rainy season. In recent months, the situation has escalated, with trenches deepening and waste spreading further.

Residents of Empumelelweni, especially children and the elderly, are directly exposed to unsafe streets, contaminated water, and health risks. Families must navigate eroded roads daily, while their dignity and safety are undermined.

Municipal neglect and poor maintenance allowed drainage systems to collapse. Without regular cleaning or repairs, erosion worsened, pipes broke, and waste accumulated. The absence of accountability turned small failures into a full‑scale crisis.

The municipality must urgently repair drainage and roads, conduct waste clean‑ups, involve residents in monitoring service delivery Publish transparent maintenance budgets to rebuild trust, involve residents in municipal budget

Community voices must be amplified. Residents, activists, and civil society should demand accountability through petitions, public meetings, and media exposure. Service delivery is not a favour; it is a constitutional right. Restoring infrastructure means restoring dignity.