Latest news with #R54.6bn
The Citizen
3 days ago
- Business
- The Citizen
DA slams Tshwane's first funded budget since 2021
The DA says the budget increases costs for vulnerable residents while protecting elite networks. While the City of Tshwane's coalition partners celebrate the passing of its first fully funded budget since 2021 in council yesterday, the opposition has accused the city of using its residents as cash cows. The coalition partners which included ANC, EFF, ActionSA, Good, DOP, ATM, PA, PAC and AIC said the budget represented a significant step toward restoring fiscal stability, advancing service delivery and meeting growing developmental needs of residents. DA rejects budget as a betrayal of the poor DA Tshwane spokesperson on finance Jacqui Uys however rejected the 'farce that was the City of Tshwane's budget'. Uys said the ANC government disregarded Tshwane's vulnerable communities because the watchman services budget was increased from R307 million in 2024 to R565 million. 'Tshwane's budget, while promising to uplift and make life easier for the residents, is nothing but a protection of ANC patronage, while using residents as cash cows. The ANC has ignored opposition voices and included another punitive tax on residents. 'The plan is to tax every single resident who cannot afford to make use of the city's rubbish collectors, at R500 per month, by forcing them to pay R200 per month in the form of a city cleansing levy,' she said. ALSO READ: Tshwane's R54.6bn budget draws mixed reactions Private power plans and patronage concerns Uys said the flawed budget was an exercise in protecting patronage networks with R20 million allocated to pay for an advisor that will facilitate transactions getting the Rooiwal and Pretoria West Power Stations operated privately, yet it was clear there is no plan to rid Tshwane of Eskom's 93c/KwA wheeling tariff. 'No independent power producer will be able to sell electricity at a loss this tariff causes,' she said. Uys said it was clear that they wanted to keep Tshwane dependent on Eskom patronage. 'The deputy mayor in his budget speech celebrated that the water woes of Ikageng are over. Yet the taps are dry and water tankers can be found everywhere. This budget has almost doubled the water and sanitation department's water tanker budget,' she said. ActionSA hails budget as a major coalition victory ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba said the passing of the 2025-26 Tshwane budget represented a major victory for all the city's residents. 'It marks the first time that ActionSA mayor Nasiphi Moya and her multiparty coalition government have delivered from their own budget, an astonishing feat, given the changes already achieved in the city,' he said. Mashaba said plans to reimagine customer care in the city were exciting, ensuring that residents receive timely, responsive service and clear feedback while issues were being resolved. NOW READ: Here is how Tshwane will be spending its R54.6 billion budget
The Citizen
6 days ago
- Politics
- The Citizen
Tshwane mayor vows to clean up the capital city
Nasiphi Moya says the city will return to complete its mission after launching clean-up operations at key sites in Tshwane. The special operation at Cemetery View and Plastic View informal settlements last week was just the beginning of cleaning up the capital and the city will return to finish what it started, according to mayor Nasiphi Moya. 'We arrested over 90 illegal immigrants who are now being processed by home affairs. Deportations are expected following court approval. This is the beginning of a process to clean up these areas,' she said. Moya said about 800 South Africans who resided in Plastic View would be relocated. 'Residents of Pretoria East have for years decried the lack of action. We are glad that the city was able to bring in support from SAPS and Home Affairs,' she said. ALSO READ: Tshwane makes strides in corruption fight as city tackles R13bn irregular expenditure backlog Last week, Moya and her deputy mayor, Eugene Modise, made a follow-up oversight visit to the Pretoria Show Grounds and confirmed a cleaning initiative was under way after eight years of neglect. 'The prized property stands at 39 hectares in the heart of the CBD. The level of vandalism we witnessed was disheartening,' she said. Moya and her team also visited the city hall and other hijacked properties in the city. 'We will come back to finish what they have started,' she said. DA Tshwane caucus leader Cilliers Brink said: 'We thank Minister Schreiber for his drive to enforce South Africa's immigration laws and call on Tshwane to finish the work.' NOW READ: Tshwane's R54.6bn budget draws mixed reactions
The Citizen
20-05-2025
- Business
- The Citizen
Proposed cleaning levy sparks legal challenge in Tshwane
AfriForum is challenging Tshwane's proposed R200 city cleaning levy, calling it unconstitutional and unfair. Tshwane Deputy Mayor Eugene Modise poses for a photograph at Tshwane House, 20 November 2024, following an interview with The Citizen. Picture: Michel Bega/The Citizen AfriForum has started legal action against the City of Tshwane to obtain clarification on the implementation of the proposed environmental, or city cleaning levy announced in the budget speech. Last week, the deputy mayor, MMC of finance Eugene Modise, announced the city's plans to implement the levy of approximately R200 per month from 1 July for all properties without a municipal waste account. AfriForum's local government affairs advisor Deidré Steffens said they submitted a request to obtain clarification on the city's plans regarding the levy in April, but received no reply. AfriForum submit to request clarification on levy plan 'On 24 April, AfriForum submitted its comments on the city's draft medium-term revenue and expenditure framework (MTREF) in which the levy was announced. 'Our legal team has made it clear that the draft MTREF containing details of the proposed levy contains material contradictions and gives excessive discretionary power to the municipal manager in the application of the levy. This creates unacceptable scope for abuse and arbitrary application,' she said. ALSO READ: Tshwane's R54.6bn budget draws mixed reactions According to Steffens, the implementation of the proposed levy would be contrary to Section 74(2) of the Local Government Municipal Systems Act, which requires that tariffs reflect the actual use of services and be applied fairly. Steffens said although the constitution required municipalities to promote the social and economic development of communities in their budgeting processes, this was not the case with the implementation of the levy. 'A non-revenue-generating service, such as a cleansing levy, is traditionally financed by property rates and if the city were to proceed with the proposed implementation of this levy, it would amount to double taxation. Cleansing levy traditionally financed by property rates 'It is unacceptable that a service that should be funded by property taxes is now being repackaged as a new levy, presumably to cover the metro's budget deficits. 'This is a blatant attempt to milk more revenue from already overtaxed residents,' she said. ALSO READ: Millions needed to fix Tshwane sinkholes AfriForum was prepared to approach the court if the city failed to provide the information by the deadline, Steffens said. Republican Conference of Tshwane councillor Lex Middelberg said the levy was a reintroduction of a similar city cleaning levy that was introduced in the 2017-8 MTREF but then abandoned. 'This cleaning levy is unconstitutional. The city conceded this and abandoned the cleaning levy in later MTREFs after the issue was raised by the Tshwane Money Matters Caucus in November 2017 with your predecessor in office at the time, with the minister of finance, the AGSA and the MEC for local government,' he said. Not a tariff for services rendered Middelberg said the cleaning levy was not a tariff for services rendered, but by its own definition an arbitrary tax raised on persons who do not consume the service. 'The cleaning levy is not raised to render a service, but to bulk up the city's coffers with additional revenue to be applied for other purposes than to clean the city,' he said. ALSO READ: Tshwane mayor faces outrage for Weskoppies Hospital power cut Tshwane's DA spokesperson for finance Jacqui Uys said they were also against the levies. Uys said the current waste collection in the city could cost residents up to 10% of their salaries. 'Instead of assisting poor households who cannot afford almost R500 per month for waste removal, the ANC-led City of Tshwane has opted to introduce a punitive tax of almost R200 on these households if they choose not to use the city's services,' she said. DA raises concerns 'The DA has also raised concerns about the newly introduced waste levy in the draft budget.' Uys said the intention of the new levy was not to ensure a cleaner city, but rather the introduction of yet another tax to use the residents of Tshwane as a stopgap to improve the city's financial position. NOW READ: Tshwane mayor under fire for downplaying pothole crisis
