Krsna Sing, DA iLembe caucus leader, writes:

The Democratic Alliance (DA) in the iLembe District Municipality strongly opposes the 2025/26 proposed draft municipal budget, which is unjustified in the current economic climate.

We cannot support the 13.5% tariff increase on water and sanitation. The DA proposes no tariff increase on water given that water is charged on a staggered tariff.

We also believe there should be a 0% increase on sanitation tariffs after the significant price hikes consumers experienced last year due to the new property valuation, over and above the 9.5% increase in the previous budget.

Council should reconsider its billing approach on sanitation, moving from property-value based to consumption-based. A fairer method would be to charge a fixed monthly fee, calculated from average annual consumption split by 12 months, allowing residents to budget more effectively and pay consistently. Additionally, indigent consumers should be exempt from paying for sewerage on the first 10kl of water consumed per month. Council should also ensure indigent households receive their 10 kilolitres (kl) of free water, even if they have been disconnected.

The DA calls on council to develop a staggered rebate policy on sanitation to assist those 60 years and over who are not indigent. We think council should consider a 25% rebate on sewer charges for those 60 and older and a 30% rebate for those 65 and older.

A reliable prepaid meter system should be implemented, which would help people regulate their supply and allow the municipality to bill upfront, reducing outstanding debt. To that end, aggressive debt collection is needed, as is a strengthened finance department.

Repairs and maintenance need to be prioritised to avoid excessive water losses and the national norm is 8% of operational budget. iLembe only allocates 3.6%.

Capital projects also need to be implemented to ensure the municipality keeps up with expansion and growth.

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