Latest news with #CityCleansingLevy
The Citizen
3 days ago
- Business
- The Citizen
Tshwane councillors clash over budget
The Tshwane metro council meeting at Tshwane House witnessed intense debates as councillors scrutinised the latest budget. The budget, above R50-billion, was presented by the MMC for Finance and Deputy Mayor Eugene Modise last month. The debates, marked by political tensions and divergent views, highlighted the metro's ongoing financial challenges and the complexities of governance. Modise tabled a fully funded budget for the 2025/26 financial year in a move towards financial sustainability and improved service delivery. The budget was formally endorsed by the National Treasury, marking an achievement for the municipality, previously plagued by financial instability. He hailed his budget as a turning point in Tshwane governance and fiscal management. The budget doesn't rely on external loans or borrowing, which Modise described as 'historic and a reflection of responsible leadership'. Despite the budget's passage with 113 votes, opposition parties raised concerns. The DA rejected and criticised the budget, and described it as using residents as 'cash cows'. DA councillor Jacqui Uys highlighted that the ANC in Tshwane has ignored opposition voices and included another punitive tax on residents. Uys said the plan is to tax every single resident who cannot afford to use the metro's rubbish collectors, at R500 per month, by forcing them to pay R200 per month in the form of a City Cleansing Levy. 'Private waste collectors already pay a fee to utilise the metro's dumping grounds, and those using private collectors will now pay double. Those who cannot afford the metro's rates will be penalised for being poor. 'R20-million is allocated to pay for an advisor, who will facilitate transactions, getting the Rooiwal and Pretoria West Power Stations operated privately. However, the fine print makes it clear that there is no plan to rid Tshwane of Eskom's 93c/KwA Wheeling tariff,' said Uys. She said no independent power producer will be able to sell electricity at the loss this tariff causes. 'The deputy mayor, in his budget speech, celebrated that the water woes of Ikageng are over. In Ikageng, the taps are dry, but water tankers can be found everywhere. This budget has almost doubled the Water and Sanitation Department's water tanker budget.' As Tshwane navigates its financial recovery, the effectiveness of the implemented measures and the administration's commitment to equitable service delivery will remain under scrutiny. Godwin Ratikwane of the EFF commended the MMC of Finance for presenting an improved budget that directly addresses long-standing social injustices raised by communities in the township and informal settlements. He said this budget 'reflects a decisive departure from the neglect of the past administrations and stands as a testament to the party's commitment to uplift the marginalised and make it great again'. 'The fully funded budget backed by the National Treasury is a clear signal that this administration is not merely making hollow promises, but taking concrete steps to transformative change. 'Let it be known that the R1.7-billion allocated to emergency services will revitalise the department, long neglected, and address the communities and the staff shortages that have jeopardised public safety,' said Ratikwana. LISTEN: ActionSA's Tshepo Modiba said this budget is not just a compliance exercise but a plan for inclusive development, service delivery, acceleration, and financial resilience. 'It gives life to the service delivery priorities we have set as a collective. It is a budget that passes both the test of legality and the test of vision. 'We acknowledge that the majority of revenue comes from service charges, and we are strengthening the social package to protect the vulnerable. This budget ensures we maintain the balance between financial stability, sustainability, and social responsibility,' said Modiba. FF Plus councillor Grandi Theunissen rejected the budget and said it places a financial burden on residents, businesses, and property owners. He said instead of the budget fostering growth and stability, it prioritises revenue, extraction over ethical governance, disregards economic realities and fails to uphold financial justice. 'The new valuation role has caused property values to increase for an average of 24.17%, drastically increasing municipal tax obligations, the metro claims to soften the impact by 4%, and adjusting the threshold from R150 000 to R250 000. 'The controversial city cleaning levy unfairly targets households and businesses that do not rely on municipal waste collection, forcing them to pay for services that they do not use. This levy amounts to double taxation,' he said. LISTEN: Modise said the passing of the budget by the council marks a turning point for Tshwane's financial governance and service delivery capabilities. 'The approval of this budget restores credibility to the city's institutional capacity and sends a clear message that Tshwane is moving forward with purpose, discipline, and unity of vision. 'This outcome reflects extensive work behind the scenes, from council engagements to technical planning, all in service of building a city that works better for its people,' Modise said. Do you have more information about the story? Please send us an email to bennittb@ or phone us on 083 625 4114. For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord's websites: Rekord East For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram or TikTok. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
The Citizen
21-05-2025
- Business
- The Citizen
DA slams municipalities for ‘double dipping' in waste collection
The DA in Gauteng has raised concerns over municipalities employing external contractors for waste collection services while maintaining their own waste management departments. This practice, called 'double dipping', involves municipalities hiring service providers to collect waste while simultaneously operating internal departments with substantial staff and equipment dedicated to the same task. Khathutshelo Rasilingwane, the DA spokesperson for the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA), highlighted this issue during a session in the Gauteng Provincial Legislature. She pointed out that many municipalities continue to outsource waste collection despite having operational fleets and personnel capable of performing these duties. Rasilingwane emphasised the financial implications of this approach, suggesting that municipalities should prioritise repairing and using their existing resources to enhance service delivery and reduce unnecessary expenditures. She argued that residents are already paying for a service through existing rates, yet the service is either not rendered effectively or is completely absent. She told Rekord that Tshwane's proposed new City Cleansing Levy, set to take effect on July 1, pending approval of the draft budget for 2025/2026, is an example of the results of mismanagement through double dipping. 'We believe that introducing an additional levy like the proposed R185 City Cleansing Levy amounts to punishing the residents for the metro's own failures in governance and operational management.' The levy would impose a monthly fee of R185 on households and R194.37 on vacant properties exceeding 150 000 m² that do not use the city's waste collection services. The municipality aims to generate about R540-million in additional revenue through this initiative. Critics argue that the levy constitutes double taxation, as property owners already pay private waste collectors. AfriForum contends that the fixed fee violates Section 74(2) of the Municipal Systems Act, which mandates that municipal service charges be proportional to actual service usage. She firmly believes that better management and a transparent audit of current waste services would reveal opportunities to cut wasteful expenditure rather than a further increase that will put more unnecessary pressure on the residents. In response to her questions on waste removal in municipalities in Gauteng, MEC Jacob Mamabolo provided insights into the practices of various municipalities. He noted that Tshwane, for instance, contracts external service providers for waste collection under lease agreements. These contracts stipulate that service providers supply and maintain their fleet, with provisions to address any missed collections within 24 hours. The metro, however, also has a Waste Management Division that handles waste collection, along with other related tasks. This division is part of the broader Environment and Agriculture Management Department and is responsible for providing efficient waste management services. To Rasilingwane, this constitutes the metro doing costly double dipping. Mamabolo assured the Legislature that, according to the metro's management, there are currently no waste collection backlogs in Pretoria. Furthermore, the MEC addressed concerns regarding landfill site rehabilitation. He confirmed that Tshwane has six closed landfill sites, two of which have been fully rehabilitated and have been issued closure permits. The remaining sites are undergoing rehabilitation processes, with final closure plans in progress. The remaining four, Temba, Onderstepoort, Kawasan and Garstkloof landfill sites, are undergoing rehabilitation and are awaiting finalisation of closure plans. Mamabolo also said the metros management has indicated that it does not have old dumpsites (communal sites where waste was disposed of illegally) requiring rehabilitation, except for the ongoing clearance of random illegal dumping sites. The metro said the landfill at Ga-Rankuwa has a life span of two to three years, and there will be a height extension and development on unturned land. The Soshanguve landfill also has the same lifespan and will be addressed in the same way as Ga-Runkuwa. The landfill in Pretoria east at Bronkhorspruit only has a lifespan of one year, and plans are afoot to procure an adjacent site for extension. The Hatherley site in Nellmapius has a lifespan of 10 to 15 years, and interventions are being made to reduce incoming waste volumes. While these measures of the metro and other Gauteng municipalities indicate a structured approach to waste management, Rasilingwane remained critical of the dual approach of double dipping in waste collection. She advocates for a more efficient use of municipal resources to ensure cost-effective and sustainable service delivery to residents. ALSO READ: Sunnyside streets affected by planned march today Do you have more information about the story? Please send us an email to bennittb@ or phone us on 083 625 4114. For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord's websites: Rekord East For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram or TikTok. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
