LIMPOPO – The Maruleng Local Municipality Council has officially adopted the Integrated Development Plan (IDP) and Budget for the 2025/26 financial year.

Mayor Tsheko Musolwa said that the budget reflects the collective aspirations and priorities of the community.

“ This budget is not merely a spreadsheet of numbers; it is a tool for transformation. It speaks to our strategic objectives of eradicating poverty, improving service delivery, stimulating local economic development, and ensuring financial sustainability. The financial health of our municipality is sacrosanct. It must be preserved at all costs,” said Musolwa.

He reaffirmed the municipality’s commitment to transparent, inclusive, and responsive governance and will continue to engage stakeholders in the rollout of key service delivery programmes.

DA PR Cllr Portia Moropane said that they approved the 2025/26 budget with the exception that they wanted the Guernsey road updates in Ward 1 included, as it plays a significant role in the municipality’s economy and contributes to a substantial impact on municipal finances.

She condemned the EFF, as the official opposition in Council for failing to attend the critical municipal budget meeting choosing instead to participate in a march to farms in Hoedspruit just 10km from where the council sitting was taking place to handover a memorandum.

“The passing of a municipality’s budget is a fundamental responsibility of all political parties in council, directly affecting service delivery, infrastructure development and the well-being of local communities. The EFF’s absence from this crucial process demonstrates a blatant disregard for governance and a failure to represent the interests of people they claim to serve. Budgets determine the allocation of funds for essential services such as road infrastructure. Failure to engage in this process shows a lack of commitment to meaningful leadership and oversight.
Instead of actively contributing to constructive debate and ensuring accountable leadership, the EFF in Maruleng has once again chosen grandstanding over responsible governance,” Moropane told the Herald.

“Residents deserve public representatives who prioritise meaningful change through legislative processes, not empty rhetoric and political theatrics. We therefore urge the EFF in Maruleng to reconsider its approach and commit to serving the people through the appropriate channels, ensuring that the communities they claim to support receive the services they rightfully deserve,” she said.