Political parties guarded on effectiveness of Durban's R70. 9 billion 2025

IOL News

2 days ago

There were mixed reactions to the eThekwini Municipality's R70.9 billion budget at a council meeting on Thursday.
Image: Willem Phungula
WHILE the majority of political parties approved the eThekwini Municipality's R70.9 million budget for 2025/2026 at a council meeting yesterday, many were sceptical about whether the objects of the exercise would be achieved.
Some questioned whether the budget represented fair enough returns to ratepayers for their monthly outlay, considering the municipality's well-documented service delivery shortcomings.
However, the municipality maintained that the budget was took into account their extensive public consultations, where they received the following comments: High tariffs were unaffordable;
Ward committees were not active;
Poor maintenance of leaking water pipes and sewers;
Request for improvements of streetlights;
Improvement in the replacement of electricity meters;
Road rehabilitation of existing roads was lacking, as they are full of potholes and storm disaster damage;
Delayed progress in housing projects;
Poor building and maintenance of social facilities such as halls, sports fields, pools, and verges;
Insufficient youth programmes.
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eThekwini Mayor Cyril Xaba emphasised that the budget was set on a trajectory to improve service delivery and technological innovation.
Xaba promised more unannounced site visits and acknowledged that delays in responses to service delivery complaints costed the city.
'We will continue to adopt a financially sustainable revenue model,' he said.
According to the municipality, it made amendments to the draft budget after public consultation by reducing water, refuse removal, and sanitation tariffs.
ANC councillor Zama Sokhabase said the budget was designed to reshape eThekwini's future and stimulate economic growth with the revitalisation of public spaces and working together for the public.
Sokhabase said the budget wiould also focus on health programmes such as teenage pregnancy.
Andre Beetge, a DA councillor, said they have heard the same rhetoric year after year, with items adopted several years ago that were not implemented. Plans can be tabled, but the proof remained in service delivery.
Beetge said the DA will not support a fairytale budget.
IFP councillor Mdu Nkosi stated that the budget would deliver on the municipality's trading services, which included water, sanitation, cleaning, and solid waste management, to keep the city clean.
Nkosi said The budget aimed to generate quick wins, gain service delivery momentum, and provide essential services.
Councillor Jay Singh, representing the United Independent Movement (UIM), rejected the budget.
He condemned the electricity tariff increase as a measure that unfairly targeted compliant ratepayers while failing to address revenue leaks and the city's debt.
Singh said the budget lacked concrete plans to dismantle the 'electricity and water mafia' networks profiting from illegal connections in informal settlements.
Zwakele Mncwango, of ActionSA, said the tariff increases were high and the budget failed to provide a budget for public transport and crime prevention, adding that the city also failed to collect debt because of poor financial management.
Imtiaz Syed, President of Active Citizens Coalition (ACC), said that 75% of the budget was contributed by ratepayers, which he described as an injustice and penalised those who worked daily to pay their bills.
Syed said it also did not deal with the informal settlement growth, which was prejudicing ratepayers.
Patrick Pillay, leader of the Democratic Liberal Congress (DLC), said he did not support tariff increases that were way above the inflation rate.
Pillay said the budget was providing a social package, one of a kind, when compared to other municipalities, that would bring great relief to pensioners, grantees, and the unemployed.
Sunitha Maharaj, of the Minority Front, said the ordinary ratepayers needed the same investment in their infrastructure to enjoy the benefits of their payments to the city's coffers.
Aslam Shaheed, the leader of the Truly Alliance (TA), said that while the budget vision was bold, it must be grounded in the realities that residents faced daily.
'We should implement a monthly performance review framework directly tied to key budget items, which would provide transparent updates, progress of infrastructure repairs, job creation, and catalytic investments. This would be responsible governance,' Shaheed said.
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The eThekwini Municipality R70.9 billion budget for the 2025/26 financial year has been adopted today at a full council meeting held at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre in Durban.
Image: Zainul Dawood