The Sundays River Valley Municipality, located in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa, has been identified as one of the worst-run municipalities in the country. The area faces numerous challenges, including high unemployment, potholed roads, and poor sanitation infrastructure. Residents have expressed frustration with the lack of access to basic services such as water, electricity, and toilet facilities. Unieunica Sipango, a resident of the informal settlement Hopetown, confirmed that her community has been without water for two months and is struggling with potholed roads and lack of access to basic services.
The municipality has a history of service delivery protests, including a violent riot in 2014 where municipal buildings and councillors' homes were burnt, and roads were blocked with burning tyres and wood. The protests were reportedly rooted in residents' bitterness over unfulfilled state promises. Despite some improvements to water and sanitation services, the overall community outlook on the municipality's capabilities remains bleak. Conversations with residents give the impression of a community that has largely given up on its local government representatives.
The Sundays River Valley Municipality has received a disclaimed audit opinion, the worst possible audit outcome, from South Africa's Auditor-General, Tsakani Maluleke, for the last seven years. The municipality is one of seven local municipalities in the country to have received a repeated disclaimed opinion. Maluleke's reports have consistently flagged weak internal controls and poor financial management, including material irregularities relating to the mismanagement of landfill sites, resulting in environmental pollution and harm to the public.
The financial health of the SRV Municipality has been a concern for the past two years, with debts outstanding including R33-million to Eskom and R65-million to the Department of Water and Sanitation. The municipality's closing balance of R404.19-million has been reported, but evidence has not been provided to confirm the irregular expenditure incurred in 2024-25. Good party councillor Hubert Hendricks stated that the municipality's biggest challenge is its finances, and that poor governance and weak internal controls have created loopholes for corruption.
The African National Congress (ANC) currently dominates the municipality, which is led by Mayor Solethu Lucas. However, the ANC has historically failed to field proportional representation candidates for the upcoming local government elections. Eastern Cape MEC for Cooperative Governance Zolile Williams acknowledged the persistent service delivery challenges in the SRV Municipality, stating that the municipality's management has a responsibility to ensure that services are delivered effectively to communities.
The provincial government has intervened by deploying officials to the municipality to assist in improving its audit outcomes. The Democratic Alliance (DA) in the Eastern Cape laid criminal charges against the SRV Municipality in April 2026 for failing to respond adequately to a major sewage spill in the Valencia area, home to about 6,500 people. The public health crisis had reportedly been an ongoing problem since before 25 March.
Residents are set to cast their ballots on 4 November in South Africa's local government elections, but many remain skeptical that it will make a difference. Unieunica Sipango, a resident, expressed frustration with the lack of change despite voting for years, saying "For how many years have we been voting? I was born in 1989, and still, when I vote, nothing changes." The municipality's struggles with sewage spills, service cuts, and repeated audit failures have left residents like Sipango feeling hopeless.
Key points
- The Sundays River Valley Municipality has received a disclaimed audit opinion for seven consecutive years due to poor financial management and weak internal controls.
- The municipality faces significant service delivery challenges, including sewage spills, potholed roads, and lack of access to basic services such as water and electricity.
- The provincial government has intervened by deploying officials to the municipality to assist in improving its audit outcomes and addressing the persistent service delivery challenges.
