Furniture removed from Ekurhuleni head office as city heads to court
The City of Ekurhuleni has confirmed that several pieces of furniture were removed from its Germiston offices on Wednesday following the execution of legal warrants.
In a statement, the municipality said the action was not linked to unpaid invoices owed to service providers or to the city's failure to meet its financial commitments.
According to the city, the amounts had already been settled in full, and the dispute centres on additional fees claimed by the Sheriff, which the municipality believes must be calculated in accordance with legally prescribed tariffs and undergo the required assessment process.
The city says it respects court authority and acknowledges the role of Sheriffs in enforcing legal orders.
However, it maintains that any disputed costs should be handled through the appropriate legal channels.
It has since started urgent legal proceedings to have the removed assets released and returned.
During a media briefing on the 2024/25 municipal audit outcomes in Germiston in early July, Gauteng Finance MEC Nkululeko Dunga revealed that the province’s municipalities accumulated R45.92 billion in irregular expenditure during the current administration.
Dunga said there are concerns that the figure may be even higher due to incomplete disclosures flagged by the Auditor-General.
As of May 2026, Ekurhuleni owes a total of R7.373 billion to its creditors, and the city carries bulk-service debt exceeding R7 billion.
It also faces major collection challenges with outstanding payments from households and businesses for rates, water and electricity, which have grown to R30.9 billion.
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