Under fire yet again for questionable spending, the Emfuleni Local Municipality (EML) has denied claims that it blew almost R12 million on hiring private grave diggers while its own cemetery staff sat idle. The municipality says the figure, cited in a parliamentary inquiry, has been “misrepresented,” insisting that the matter has been “overstated for political gain.”
This comes after Gauteng MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta), Jacob Mamabolo, revealed the information in a written reply to a question tabled by the Democratic Alliance (DA) in the Gauteng Provincial Legislature (GPL).
Mamabolo revealed that over the last five financial years, the EML appointed four private companies between 2022 and 2025 to assist with grave digging. He outlined the cost ranges as follows: a standard adult grave R693, an 8‑foot adult grave R693, an adult grave with a casket R693, reopening a standard grave R693, reopening a casket grave R575, and a child grave R462.
He added that EML spent a total of R11 257 043.13 on service providers over the period, with the highest-paid contractor receiving R3 303 194.45.
Kingsol Chabalala, DA Emfuleni North Constituency Head, criticized the spending, saying that outsourcing routine tasks like grave digging is unjustifiable. He argued that such basic duties require no specialised skills and should be handled by municipal employees.
“The outsourcing of such basic functions reflects not only poor fiscal management but also a failure of responsible governance and accountability, all of which have become regrettably synonymous with the Emfuleni.”
The Star previously reported that over the past five financial years (2019–2024), the municipality spent a staggering R15 million on 65 different service providers for basic cemetery maintenance and grass-cutting.
Chabalala said the DA has long raised concerns about double-dipping in the municipality, describing the situation as “highly suspicious and questionable.”
“It is a disgrace that funds are going to service providers while our roads are full of potholes, sewage flows freely, and some homes have been without electricity for up to ten years. The money spent on duplicating services could have been better used to address urgent issues affecting residents,” he said.
He further said the DA plans to question Mamabolo about the responsibilities of municipal staff, particularly in light of outsourced functions.
“We will advocate through our councillors in Emfuleni to stop the outsourcing of grave-digging and ensure that this is done by general workers,” Chabalala added.
Meanwhile, Mojalefa Radebe, Acting Assistant Manager for Media Relations at the municipality, said Emfuleni facilitates between 60 and 110 burials per week, making the total expenditure over five years “minimal and proportionate to the scale of demand.”
He added that outsourcing grave-digging was a “necessary measure” prompted by high demand and limited internal capacity.
“The outsourcing of this service was a necessary measure, prompted by the high demand and limited internal capacity. At the time, grave-digging and filling were being done manually by municipal personnel, who could not keep up with the workload under those conditions,” he added.
Radebe said the municipality has begun a procurement process for Tractor-Loader-Backhoes (TLBs) to improve its ability to handle grave-digging internally. However, he noted that operating the machinery requires certified skills that current general workers do not yet possess.
“The municipality is reviewing its organisational structure to strengthen the sourcing of specialised skills needed for sustainable service delivery,” Radebe said. “In the meantime, ELM will continue to ensure uninterrupted and dignified burial services for the community.”
He stressed that allegations of “double dipping” are false, saying all procurement processes followed the Municipal Supply Chain Management Policy and the Municipal Finance Management Act (MFMA).
Radebe said every step was guided by principles of transparency, accountability, and value for money. It added that while service delivery challenges persist, the municipality remains committed to addressing them as part of its broader turnaround strategy.
The Star
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