Postponed: Consideration of Emfuleni Local Municipality Petition

Meeting report

Despite having stated that they would attend, Eskom, the Emfuleni Municipality, and the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) did not attend the meeting.

In the hopes that they would join the meeting, the Chairperson asked the Committee Secretary to grant them an additional three minutes to log in.

However, they did not, and phone calls to try and reach them were unsuccessful.

Ms S Shaikh (ANC; Limpopo) found it unacceptable that these stakeholders did not honour the invite, which they had confirmed. She suggested that the Committee needed to discover why this happened, and if this behaviour persists, then the Committee should summon them to appear.

Mr C Smit (DA, Limpopo said it was totally unacceptable that stakeholders did not attend the meeting and expressed that two things need to happen:

1. The Chairperson is to write a letter to the relevant Minister to inform him/ her to explain what occurred and ask for intervention.

2. Issue summons to these stakeholders and reschedule the meeting.

In order for him to report back to the community, Mr D Ryder (DA, Gauteng) highlighted his dissatisfaction with the actions of Eskom, Emfuleni Municipality, and COGTA and asked when a meeting may be anticipated.

Mr C Dodovu (ANC, North West) expressed his dissatisfaction and worry for the petitioners and residents of Emfuleni, who have been waiting six months for this meeting to take place. He appealed to the Committee that they consider summoning the stakeholders as a last resort. He urged the Committee to invite them once again but write to them with the concerns and dissatisfaction of their disrespect.

The Chairperson agreed with the Committee that the stakeholders showed disrespect for the Committee, petitioners, and Parliament. She apologised to the Committee for the inconvenience. She advised that a letter would be written expressing the concerns of the Committee before issuing summons to the stakeholders. She advised that a meeting would be called within the next two weeks as the petitioners have been waiting for this meeting for six months. For now, the meeting was postponed.

Mr E Mthethwa (ANC, KwaZulu-Natal) seconded the suggestion.

The meeting was adjourned.