Joburg stops essential services because it can’t pay for fuel

Johannesburg, South Africa’s economic hub, has halted some essential services because it can’t pay for fuel, the main opposition party in the city said.

The “City of Johannesburg is facing a fuel crisis that has left municipal services grounded and now threatens service delivery across the city,” the Democratic Alliance said in a statement sent to Bloomberg on Wednesday.

Earlier, a councillor who is a member of the coalition that runs the municipality and oversees the transport portfolio issued a statement saying the Johannesburg Roads Agency had suspended operations.

The crisis adds to the financial woes of a metropolis of 4.8 million people, with the municipality mired in corruption scandals and unable to provide reliable water, electricity and other basic services.

In May, South Africa’s Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana threatened to halt state funding for the city because of what he called its decision to implement an “unaffordable” wage deal for its workers.

The collapse of services comes ahead of municipal elections in November, with the DA mounting a campaign to dislodge the African National Congress — the senior partner in the coalition that runs the city.

The two parties are part of a coalition that runs the country at a national level, but don’t cooperate in Johannesburg.

Spokespeople for the city didn’t answer calls to their mobile phones, text messages or emails.

The fuel shortage may also affect the water and refuse collection departments, the DA said.

“Potholes cannot be repaired, traffic lights cannot be fixed, refuse cannot be collected, and water infrastructure faults cannot be attended to,” the party said.

“This is a crisis that will be felt in every community if it is not addressed urgently.”

The agency that maintains Johannesburg’s roads suspended services with effect from June 15, the office of Kenny Kunene, the councillor responsible for transport, said in the statement.

The crisis extends beyond the agency, said Solly Mkhize, the councillor’s spokesman. “It’s the whole city,” he said by phone.