
Tshwane coalition govt pushes back on DA calls for properties worth R450k and less to be exempt from paying rates
While the city is currently mulling raising the threshold, proposals in the current draft budget have limited the exemption to R250,000 from the existing R150,000.
Earlier on Thursday, Tshwane Finance MMC Eugene Modise delivered the capital's budget speech during a special council meeting in Pretoria.
ALSO READ:
• Tshwane Municipality wants to revive Wonderboom Airport
• National Treasury endorses City of Tshwane budget
• Tshwane DA calls for review of city's budget to lessen tax burden on residents
After electricity, property rates are the Tshwane Municipality's biggest revenue generator.
The city's new general valuation roll, which comes into effect on 1 July, will see the city's rateable property book increase by almost 25 percent.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

The Star
7 hours ago
- The Star
Joburg mayor blames DA-led coalition as city faces R24. 4bn wasteful spending crisis
Simon Majadibodu | Published 7 hours ago Joburg Mayor Dada Morero has blamed the previous DA-led administration for the city's ballooning unauthorised, irregular, fruitless and wasteful expenditure, which has reached R24.4 billion over the past year. Speaking at a media briefing on Thursday, Morero confirmed he had submitted a comprehensive financial recovery plan to Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana, who had given the City of Johannesburg 14 days to respond after raising alarm over its financial mismanagement. This comes after Auditor-General, Tsakani Maluleke, flagged serious governance failures, including poor financial controls, weak revenue collection and chronic underinvestment. The National Treasury has cautioned that failure to resolve the crisis could result in the withholding of national grants. Morero said he received the letter from Godongwana on July 30, 2025, outlining the minister's concern over the city's ongoing non-compliance with the Municipal Finance Management Act (MFMA), specifically relating to unauthorised and irregular expenditure. 'The Honourable Minister requested that I respond within 14 days. I can confirm that I have now submitted a comprehensive response on behalf of the City of Johannesburg,' Morero said. The response, he said, includes a full account of the issues behind the R23.6 billion in unauthorised, irregular, fruitless and wasteful expenditure as reported in the city's 2023–2024 financial statements. Morero, who has served as mayor since August 2022, again blamed the Democratic Alliance-led coalition, which governed the city between 2016 and 2021. He previously served as an MMC for Finance at the metro in 2023. 'Our beloved city endured a period of mismanagement and poor leadership under the DA-led coalition. The R23.6 billion is a cumulative figure that increased progressively over several years, largely unaddressed and not regularised as required by the MFMA,' he said. He broke down the R23.6 billion figure, which includes R13 billion (55%) in unauthorised expenditure, R9.9 billion (42%) in irregular expenditure, and R735 million (3%) in fruitless and wasteful expenditure. Morero said most of the unauthorised spending, comes from bulk purchases of electricity and water that exceeded the approved budget. 'These bulk purchases are driven by resident consumption as well as both technical and non-technical losses during service delivery,' he said. Irregular expenditure mainly arose from procurement processes that failed to comply with supply chain regulations. 'It's important to clarify that irregular or unauthorised expenditure doesn't necessarily mean that the goods or services weren't received. It points to non-compliance in procurement procedures,' he said. Morero said to address these issues, he implemented key interventions including an enhanced expenditure reduction strategy focused on investigations, consequence management, and regularisation of non-compliant spending in line with MFMA Section 32.2. He said he also re-established the city's disciplinary board for financial misconduct and initiated criminal proceedings where necessary. 'In February 2025, I approached President Cyril Ramaphosa for technical support through the Presidential Working Group,' Morero added. He said the city also established a 'War Room' and introduced a 'Bomb Squad' to oversee financial recovery and monitor service delivery progress weekly. These interventions, he claimed, are beginning to show results. 'As of June 30, 2025, R12.9 billion of the R23.6 billion has been regularised. The balance of R6.7 billion is under investigation. The remainder has been investigated and is now being processed by municipal committees,' he said. Morero said he expects a 'significant reduction' in irregular expenditure in the city's 2024–2025 annual financial statements. He said the disciplinary board has completed preliminary investigations into six matters totalling R535 million, with outcomes to be presented to the Council during its next ordinary sitting. On July 31, the Council approved 12 further matters for investigation, amounting to R2.5 billion. These relate to alleged financial misconduct and unresolved unauthorised expenditure. Morero also claimed there were improvements in revenue collection through the War Room initiative, with the city achieving an 87% collection rate between April and June 2025 - a 2.7% increase from the same period last year. He said the city is now targeting a sustainable daily revenue collection of R200 million. 'The impact of the Presidential Working Group and Bomb Squad is beginning to be visible through accelerated service delivery,' he said. He said a new board has been appointed to oversee municipal entities, while oversight through the Group Audit Committees and the Mayoral Committee is being strengthened. He added, 'Reducing unauthorised, irregular and fruitless expenditure is now a key performance indicator for senior managers. The disciplinary board will continue expediting investigations into allegations of financial misconduct.' [email protected] IOL Politics

IOL News
9 hours ago
- IOL News
Singh's Mysterious Death Casts Shadow Over R150 Million Bank Fraud Case
Singh died in custody in October 2024 while awaiting trial for her alleged role in a R150 million fraud case involving forged Stanbic Bank Ghana guarantees. Image: Pexels The sudden death of 51-year-old Nishani Singh, initially attributed to health complications, is now at the centre of mounting suspicions in one of South Africa's most high-profile financial crime investigations. Singh died in custody in October 2024 while awaiting trial for her alleged role in a R150 million fraud case involving forged Stanbic Bank Ghana guarantees. These documents were used to obtain large credit facilities from Investec Bank between 2017 and 2022. While once seen as a key accused, Singh was reportedly preparing to turn State witness, a move insiders believe could have implicated senior figures within South Africa's financial sector. 'She could not have orchestrated this alone,' said a source close to the investigation. 'The forgeries were too precise. This required someone with deep internal knowledge.'That testimony, however, will now never be heard. This week, the prosecution's case suffered a major blow during proceedings at the Palm Ridge Specialised Commercial Crimes Court. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ Under cross-examination, the State's lead witness conceded that the affidavits used to charge Singh and her brother, Rushil, did not establish intent to defraud.'These documents show a prima facie case,' the witness admitted. 'But they do not prove the accused acted with criminal intent.'Further damaging the State's position, the witness also confirmed that several of the emails used as evidence were genuine, and that at the time, it was reasonable to assume the Ghanaian guarantees were backed by actual funds.' This may reflect reckless financial behaviour,' he added, 'but not necessarily criminal fraud.'The defence has seized on these revelations to argue that the Singhs may have engaged in questionable financial dealings but were far from the masterminds they have been portrayed as. Attention has now shifted to the circumstances of Singh's death. She had appeared visibly ill during earlier court appearances and was allegedly denied adequate medical care while in custody.


The Citizen
9 hours ago
- The Citizen
Ramaphosa unaware of ‘ill-advised' Iran trip by SANDF chief
Magwenya says Ramaphosa did not know about the SANDF chief's Iran trip. Presidential spokesperson Vincent Magwenya says President Cyril Ramaphosa was unaware of South African National Defence Force (SANDF) chief Rudzani Maphwanya's Iran trip, calling it 'ill-advised' amid efforts to ease strained US relations. Magwenya made the remarks during a media briefing on the president's diary programme and other topical issues. He addressed Maphwanya's trip, the general's comments, and the potential implications for South Africa's ties with the US. Maphwanya met with several senior members of Iran's military forces on Tuesday, where he made glowing statements about possible future collaborations between the nations. He explained that the defence minister, not the president, approved Maphwanya's travel. 'As much as the president is the appointing authority and commander-in-chief, he does not get involved in supervising the general's travel. That process sits with the minister, so the president did not know,' he said. ALSO READ: Ministries distance themselves from SANDF chief's comments in Iran The spokesperson described the visit as 'ill-advised' and potentially inflammatory, given rising geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. Magwenya said the president is managing a delicate exercise to reset diplomatic and political tensions with the US while balancing trade relations. Ramaphosa will meet Maphwanya next week Despite his busy travel schedule, Ramaphosa will meet with Maphwanya within the next week. While the outcome is uncertain, Magwenya said it is expected to be significant. The Democratic Alliance (DA) has called for Maphwanya to be immediately court-martialled for breaking neutrality and violating military law. The spokesperson said discussions about a court-martial are ongoing, depending on the gravity of accusations. Watch the presidency media briefing on the president's diary programme here: ALSO READ: Calls for Kolisi & Co to 'save' the National Dialogue, ActionSA claims convention will cost R25 million Shifting to the National Dialogue's first national convention, which begins on Friday, Magwenya said it aims to re-energise communities, develop action plans, and promote mutual accountability and democracy. 'The dialogue presents an opportunity to forge a national compact that outlines clear commitments and responsibilities for various stakeholders,' Magwenya said. However, the dialogue has been marred by withdrawals from several political parties and legacy foundations, including the Thabo Mbeki Foundation and the Chief Albert Luthuli Foundation. Foundations, parties withdrawls from National Dialogue These organisations pulled out of the organising committee over concerns about funding transparency and alleged poor planning. In response to a question about the foundations' withdrawal, the spokesperson said that the controversy is over the state of preparedness and funding the national convention, not the dialogue process itself. Magwenya said that when the foundations raised these concerns, Ramaphosa expressed anxiety over postponing the convention and the inconvenience it caused for various organisations. According to him, the president believes the issues should be resolved in parallel with holding the event. ALSO READ: National Dialogue: Concerns about financial transparency and hotel bookings for delegates The foundations withdrew from the preparatory task team but committed to participating in the national dialogue process, Magwenya added. When asked about representation and inclusivity at the national convention, he said the convention is a platform to set the agenda for the National Dialogue, not the actual dialogue. The spokesperson said the convention will be inclusive, with close to 1 000 confirmed delegates representing various sectors of society. Credibilty of dialogue not determined by one person or 7 organisations – Magwenya 'The credibility of the National Dialogue is going to be the level of participation across communities and what is going to come out of that process as outcomes. And that credibility cannot be determined by one person. Neither can it be determined by seven organisations,' Magwenya said. He was also asked about Ramaphosa's relationship with former president Mbeki, to which Magwenya said the relationship is professional and cordial, with Ramaphosa not venturing into public criticism of his predecessor.