Ratepayers, opposition reject City R70b budget plan
Ratepayers and opposition parties have rejected the recent budget plan as delivered by the eThekwini Municipality, citing its lack of sensitivity towards the poor and ignoring prevalent challenges faced by the residents.
THE Ethekwini Ratepayers Protest Movement (ERPM) has shredded the recent budget plan presented by the City, calling it a “shameful spectacle of self-indulgence”.
The eThekwini Municipality mayor, Cyril Xaba, delivered this year’s R71.3b budget last week.
ERPM has categorically rejected the budget and called on all residents and ratepayers to demand accountability, transparency and financial sanity from the city’s administration.
“The time for silence is over. We are appalled by this budget, it is not pro-poor. It is pro-elite. It is austerity for residents and indulgence for the politically connected.
Also read: Ratepayers threaten to withhold payments to municipality
“The City’s financial management is collapsing, cash reserves are falling, and collection rates are low, yet reckless spending continues. This is governance by gimmick, not by principle.
“We demand a budget that serves the people, not the privileged, no tariff increases until service delivery standards are met, and an immediate moratorium on luxury and non-essential projects. Also, a full forensic audit of all event and destination marketing spending,” the ERPM statement highlighted.
It concluded, “This budget proposes significant tariff hikes: electricity (12.72%), water (15%), sanitation (13%), and refuse (9.9%) — all while millions are spent on parties, beach festivals, and musical concerts. These increases are unaffordable and unjustifiable under current economic hardship.”
The Democratic Alliance (DA) also took a swipe at the budget, “The recently tabled eThekwini 2025/2026 – 2027/2028 Draft Budget is nothing short of a betrayal of the ratepayers and communities of this city. Instead of addressing the growing crisis in infrastructure, governance, and basic service delivery, the municipality has opted to splurge hundreds of millions on luxury events, destination marketing, and frivolous conferences.”
Also read: Ratepayers express mistrust over City’s water strategy
As it stands, the DA does not support the draft budget and encourages citizens to interrogate the content actively, and to contribute towards the final budget during the budget roadshows in April and May of 2025.
Mayor Xaba added, “I must indicate that this was a very difficult budget to balance, considering the current challenging economic climate. We want to assure the residents of eThekwini that this budget is not merely a financial plan, but it is a blueprint for progress, prioritising infrastructure development, job creation, and social upliftment.”
The major capital projects over the 2025/2026 Mid-Term Revenue and Expenditure Framework are:
*Wastewater Treatment Works: Upgrades / Expansion R2.37b
*Low-cost Housing and Infrastructure R2.57b
*EThekwini Transport Authority R2.35b
*Replacement of Bus Fleet R549m
*Electricity Infrastructure R2.10b
*Addressing Community Service Backlogs R1.36b
*Roads Rehabilitation and Reconstruction, and New Access roads R727m
*Zonal Planning R999m
*Water-loss Intervention Programme & Replacement of water pipes R2.2b
*Catalytic Projects R588m
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