LIMPOPO – Giyani Mayor Thandi Zitha has officially tabled the municipality’s budget for the 2025/26 financial year, focusing on infrastructure development, improved service delivery, and financial sustainability.

In her address, Zitha outlined a range of capital projects aimed at uplifting various communities within the municipality, some of which have previously made headlines due to delays or stalled progress.

These include the Section E Sports Centre, which has been allocated R10 million for the refurbishment of its vandalised infrastructure, and the Mageva Sports Centre, which also received R10 million for the extension of its pitch.

Additionally, R14 million has been set aside for the upgrading of streets from gravel to paving in Section E. A further R5 million has been allocated for the construction of market stalls in Sections A and C, areas situated near Nkhensani Hospital and Letaba TVET College.

A significant portion of the budget includes R30.4 million for street upgrades in Khakhala village, R21.9 million for internal street upgrades in N’wamankena village, and R26.5 million for similar projects in Babangu village.

“We have also set aside R11.5 million for basic electricity infrastructure to ensure that households without access to electricity are provided with an essential power supply,” explained the mayor.

However, despite these ambitious development plans, the municipality projects a slight decline in income for the 2025/26 financial year, with projected revenue decreasing from R687.8 million in 2024/25 to R673 million in the current financial year starting in July. Nevertheless, revenue from property rates and refuse services continues to play a vital role in the municipality’s finances.

Meanwhile, for the 2025/26 financial year, income from these sources is expected to total R101.8 million, with a steady increase to R106.4 million in 2026/27 and R111.1 million in 2027/28, as outlined in the Medium-Term Revenue and Expenditure Framework.

The mayor emphasised the importance of adjusting tariffs to reflect the actual cost of delivering municipal services in line with the Local Government Municipal Systems Act. According to her, this approach will enable the municipality to generate sufficient revenue to fully cover service costs, ensure sustainable delivery, and invest in critical infrastructure.

She also urged residents to settle their outstanding municipal accounts, stating that doing so plays a vital role in enabling the municipality to provide improved services such as water, sanitation, and waste management.

“We have incentives that we give to individuals that settle their accounts with the municipality, such as massive discounts and others, so please use this opportunity to clear your debts and assist in stabilising the municipality’s financial position,” she said, urging all residents to pay for municipal services.

Meanwhile, the total budget expenditure for the 2024/25 financial year was recorded at R916.8 million. However, this amount has been reduced by R10 million in the following year, bringing the total projected expenditure for the 2025/26 financial year down to R906.8 million. This was welcomed by several opposition parties as a step towards achieving sustainable and cost-saving operations.