DA slams Tzaneen mayor’s Soma over ‘uncomfortable truths’
The DA has criticised Mayor Odas Ngobeni's State of the Municipality address, saying it failed to address deteriorating services and finances.
TZANEEN – The DA has criticised Greater Tzaneen Municipality (GTM) Mayor Odas Ngobeni’s recent State of the Municipality address (Soma), arguing that it failed to provide residents with an honest assessment of the municipality’s current challenges.
In a statement released on June 29, DA caucus leader Mahlatswa Lebbeus Ramalepe said the address did not sufficiently address issues such as deteriorating infrastructure, unreliable service delivery, governance concerns, and the municipality’s financial position.
“The mayor failed to confront GTM’s poorly maintained infrastructure, deteriorating service delivery, weak governance, and precarious financial position. Instead, he presented a lengthy catalogue of awards of questionable relevance to residents’ lived experience and future promises,” he said.
The opposition party further claimed that residents continue to experience water shedding, unreliable water supply, and sewage overflows while facing increasing municipal tariffs.
Questions over governance
The DA also questioned the municipality’s governance, saying the address did not provide details on:
- Procurement failures
- Disciplinary processes
- Auditor-General findings
- Consequence management for officials and contractors where projects have not met expectations
Budget unsustainable and unfunded
Ramalepe further disputed the mayor’s assertion that the municipality is financially stable, claiming the 2026/27 budget is unsustainable and unfunded.
He said residents are expected to face tariff increases of 101.52% for water and 281.77% for sewerage, adding that these increases were not adequately disclosed during the integrated development plan (IDP) and budget consultation process.
Silent on central questions
“A municipality must be judged by the condition of its infrastructure, the reliability of its services, the integrity of its governance, and the sustainability of its finances. On each of these central questions, the address was silent, while the Mayor avoided the uncomfortable truths,” Ramalepe said.
Municipality yet to respond
The GTM had not responded to the DA’s claims at the time of publication.
