THE eThekwini Municipality’s proposed tariff hike for waste removal for domestic refuse and business waste collection has been firmly opposed by the Democratic Alliance (DA).

THE municipality’s Trading Services Committee held its monthly meeting recently where a tariff hike of 9.9% for domestic refuse collection and 9% for business waste collection was approved for consideration and approval by the Executive Committee, for implementation at the beginning of 2025/2026 financial year.

Gugu Sisilana, spokesperson of the eThekwini Municipality said, “The tariff review takes into consideration the proposed budget cost increase that can be expected in the next financial year. The proposed increase was done taking into consideration the current price in the marketplace and the Unit’s pricing strategy of ensuring that the services are affordable and cost justified.”

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Zandile Masondo from the Cleansing and Solid Waste Unit said the tariff increase consideration emphasises the importance of understanding the cost associated with providing the service. It also identified the revenue source available to ensure the financial sustainability of the service being provided.

“The service we are providing is central to residents and visitors to enjoy a clean city. There are many factors that have been considered to ensure that the service is affordable for all customers,” said Masondo.

She said the actual cost of running a waste service in eThekwini continues to escalate, pointing out that the proposed increase does not cover all the costs related to the provision of an effective solid waste management service.

Hlengiwe Shozi, DA eThekwini councillor, said the increase was an an outright insult to the residents of eThekwini and to all ratepayers, and her party opposed the proposal.

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“At the recent Trading Services portfolio meeting, members of the Democratic Alliance decisively rejected the proposal for a domestic refuse removal user tariff. The DA firmly asserted that implementing this tariff would place an unfair financial burden on households, especially the ratepayers and the community at large. The department is failing to service the residents, continuous complaints are received from communities across the city.

“Such a fee could compound existing inequalities and discourage proper waste disposal practices. The DA has therefore called for a thorough examination of alternative funding solutions that would ensure sustainable waste management services. Residents and ratepayers express strong dissatisfaction with the delays in waste collection, which result in unsanitary conditions that pose significant health risks and could lead to disease outbreaks,” Shozi added.

She concluded that the DA would persist in its efforts to represent and champion the needs of eThekwini’s residents and ratepayers.

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