Latest news with #Shandu
The Herald
28-05-2025
- Business
- The Herald
KZN municipality to give poor 10,000 litres of free water a month
The budget is pro-poor, Shandu said, adding that most people there live below the poverty line. 'To provide relief for the indigent residents, the council has endorsed the provision of 10,000 l of free water to registered indigents. Our assumption is that a 2,500 l tank should be able provide a family of four with a week's supply of water, if used conventionally.' He called upon poor households to register to benefit for the programme. 'This programme is for those who are unemployed and who have a family income of R5,000 or less a month. 'We strongly believe that this budget reflects a strong commitment to pro-poor service delivery, infrastructure development and financial sustainability.' Shandu took a swipe at the DA for protesting after the council proposed a 13.5% water tariff hike. The DA, led by provincial leader Francois Rodgers, called for no increase. Rodgers said the municipality should not increase water tariffs while it fails to deliver services. TimesLIVE
IOL News
28-05-2025
- Business
- IOL News
Mayor defends water tariff increase while providing free water to vulnerable families
Left: Ilembe District Municipal Manager Sazi Mbhele, Mayor Thobani Shandu, and Director of Technical Services Ncingisa Mbole at the media briefing on Wednesday to clarify budget decisions. Image: Supplied As part of a response to the Democratic Alliance's demands for the 0% water tariff increase, the water-stricken Ilembe District Municipality has decided to supply 10,000 litres to poor households every month. In a R1.6 billion budget tabled by the district mayor, Thobani Shandu, on Tuesday, the municipality approved a revised 13% increase from 13.5%, which was initially proposed, dismissing the DA's demand as highly unreasonable. The mayor said it was not feasible not to increase the water tariff while Umngeni-Uthukela Water, which sells water to municipalities, has raised tariffs by 13%. Shandu said the municipality believes that more than 30% of the approximately 700,000 people living in the district will receive free water under the 10,000 litres cushion. The mayor said there would be a drive to encourage the poor households to register under indigent programmes so that their financial status would be assessed and be placed under the programme. 'It was impossible for us not to increase water tariffs while the water utility where we buy water from has increased. We were reasonable enough to at least increase our tariffs by the same amount. 'The DA must understand that we are a rural municipality with no less revenue collection, so we are like cities like eThekwini, which collect more residential and business rates, and those cities can easily reduce water tariffs and take money from other sources to cover water costs,' said Shandu. Out of this budget, the municipality set aside R357 million for capital projects, leaving the rest for operational costs. The municipality has a surplus of R14,6 million. Shandu said he believes the budget reflects a strong commitment to pro-poor service delivery, infrastructure development, and financial sustainability. Clarifying the qualifying criteria for free water, Shandu said all homes with a value of less than R130,000 of families with a combined monthly income of less than R50,000 will qualify for the free water programme. He added that the charges will also be capped at homes worth R5 million, meaning that even those families living in homes worth more than R5 million will not pay more than 13%. The district covers the three rural local municipalities of Ndwedwe, Mandeni, and Maphumulo as well as the semi-urban Greater KwaDukuza Municipality. In its response, the DA rejected the mayor's explanation, saying the party would force the municipality to reverse the increase through other mechanisms, including legal action. The DA's district constituency head, Sakhile Mngadi, who led the water march earlier, said the municipality's problem was irregular expenditure, which was picked up in the Auditor-General's report. Mngadi said that 15% of the budget went to fruitless and wasteful expenditure, and the municipality shifts its poor financial management to the poor people by burdening them with avoidable tariff increases. [email protected]
TimesLIVE
28-05-2025
- Business
- TimesLIVE
KZN municipality to give poor 10,000 litres of free water a month
Poor households in the iLembe district municipality on the KwaZulu-Natal north coast will get 10,000 litres of water for free per month, while the rich will have to pay 13% more. At a media briefing in KwaDukuza on Wednesday after passing a budget of R1.9bn for the financial year 2025/2026, iLembe mayor Thobani Shandu said they regretted the increased water tariffs. 'The council has adopted a 13% increase for water and sanitation, down from the proposed 13.5% tabled during the council sitting of March 26,' said Shandu. 'It is important to note our increment is aligned with uMngeni-uThukela Water's bulk tariff hike. We are unlike some of neighbours who have opted to add input costs. 'Households valued at R130,000 or less will be exempt from sewer charges. These charges will be capped to the household value of R5m.'
The Citizen
03-05-2025
- Sport
- The Citizen
Pirates' Shandu looking forward to ‘good game' against Chiefs
'I think the derby is going to be a good game for us. We're looking forward to it,' said Shandu. Orlando Pirates defender Bandile Shandu is expecting a tough but good game against Kaizer Chiefs this weekend. The Soweto giants are set to meet in a sold-out Soweto derby at FNB Stadium this afternoon. ALSO READ: Chiefs v Pirates – Five things to look out for 'I think the derby is going to be a good game for us. We're looking forward to it,' said Shandu during a derby press conference at The Venue in Melrose Arch on Thursday. 'We're working hard in terms of getting better as individuals, as a team as well. And I think if we do what the coach wants, the results will take care of themselves. 'It's going to be tough. We respect our opponents, but we also know how good we are. If we do the things the coach wants according to the game plan, like I said, the result will take care of itself,' added Shandu. The Buccaneers go into this encounter against Chiefs on the back of back-to-back defeats against Pyramids FC in the CAF Champions League and Sekhukhune United in the Betway Premiership. Shandu blames the two defeats on 'errors'. 'The derby itself is an occasion where not much motivation is needed. The occasion motivates you, as Orlando Pirates, we want to bounce back from previous results. We've been working very hard to rectify our mistakes from the previous games. 'We need to work hard like we have been, working for one another, derbies are those games where you need to fight as a team, we showed that before and we just need to carry on with that,' concluded Shandu. ALSO READ: Chiefs and Pirates stars set to miss Soweto derby Pirates are currently second in the Betway Premiership standings with 46 points after 21 games. They trail log leaders Mamelodi Sundowns by 12 points, but have two games in hand over the Brazilians who have 58 points in 23 games. Chiefs on the other hand occupy ninth spot on the log with 30 points after 25 games.
