The DA in Steve Tshwete has rejected the municipality’s budget for 2025/26. This comes after the R2,63 billion budget was passed by the ANC, EFF and other minority parties.
The DA reiterates that this budget will financially burden residents of Steve Tshwete who will now pay 13% more for electricity. To add insult to injury, the property rates tariff is set to increase by 4,4%. This is despite the massive increases that occurred last year with the implementation of the latest valuation roll.
Other utilities that are due to increase include sewerage tariffs, water tariffs and refuse removal. According to the new budget, all of these categories will increase by 5%.
Realistically, this does not make logical sense as it will financially impact already strained household budgets.
For the past three budget cycles, the DA has made proposals to council stating that we should invest in alternative energy sources to shield our residents from such exorbitant electricity hikes. Although this issue has been raised and approved in council on several occasions, the executive and the ANC-led administration failed to realise the importance of such initiatives. As a result, residents are going to feel the pinch.
Residents deserve to know that currently, the municipality is left with little investments, and it owes millions to their creditors. This is hampering this municipality’s cash flow and ability to render services.
In essence, this is not the people’s budget, and it does not serve the residents of Steve Tshwete. This is a budget put together to save and repair the damages made by self-serving politicians and officials.
