Endumeni’s Eskom debt of about R500 million is now close to the municipality’s budgeted income of R553 million, as councillors remain divided over the proposed 2026/27 budget.

A three-and-a-half-hour council meeting again failed to approve the budget, with ANC and DA councillors opposing it and the IFP supporting it. This marks the third unsuccessful attempt to pass the budget ahead of the June 30 deadline.

Should the budget remain unapproved, council will be required to reconvene within seven days. Failure to adopt it could result in provincial intervention, including the municipality being placed under administration and a temporary budget being imposed.

Opposition councillors questioned the credibility of the budgeted R2.1 million surplus, citing rising Eskom debt, unpaid creditors and service delivery concerns.

Councillor Saleem Abdool described the budget as unfunded.

“Endumeni is bankrupt. We cannot even afford to buy refuse bags,” he said.

Abdool criticised fuel expenditure, consultant costs and the lack of an Eskom payment plan, adding that only one of the municipality’s 13 tractors was currently operational.

Employment and consultation concerns

ANC councillor Ameena Sadeck said the budget had not been properly workshopped and claimed there had been insufficient public consultation.

“The Integrated Development Plan, which should be aligned to the budget, was also not presented,” she said.

Sadeck further criticised what she described as a “jobs for family and friends” culture and alleged that a grader, cherry picker and water tanker previously unveiled by the municipality were out of service because suppliers had not been paid.

She also raised concerns about security arrangements, alleging that despite the municipality employing three security companies, assets remained inadequately protected.

With the deadline looming, pressure is mounting on councillors to reach an agreement and avoid possible intervention by the provincial government.

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