With local government elections just two weeks away, Endumeni Municipality’s 2026/27 budget has once again been rejected by a narrow majority of councillors.

The latest attempt to pass the budget, which was due by June 30, failed after ANC and DA councillors voted against it, giving the No vote a one-vote majority over those in favour – the IFP and ABC.

ANC councillor Ameena Sadeck said her party rejected the document because it had never supported an unfunded budget in five years.

“When we came here in 2021, the budget was funded. Through this council, the budget became unfunded, which for four years was supported by the DA and IFP,” she said.

Sadeck said the ANC had recommended cost-cutting measures to make the budget funded, but these had not been considered.

“It’s not only the Eskom issue, with the current debt at R606.3-million, that is making this budget unfunded. Look at costs. We have four security companies at the municipality and a budget of R10-million for them. Why? uMzinyathi District Municipality only has two security companies for the entire district,” she said.

DA councillor Salem Abdool said his party was concerned about inadequate provision for maintenance and repairs, which fell well below National Treasury’s recommended 8% of the budget.

He also cited poor revenue collection, rising legal costs, a bloated staff complement and the failure to address debt write-offs despite repeated requests.

“The asset register is not aligned, despite us asking for this for five years. Costs can be cut if the misuse of the fuel bill and fleet is addressed, but we never get reports,” he said.

Abdool also questioned why the budget had not provided for promised assistance to Glencoe Private Hospital, which remains unopened. He said the council had failed to provide for a 1km tar road, drainage and an upgraded electrical transformer for the site.

“This unfunded budget fails to address all of this. That’s why we reject it,” he said.

Calls to pass the budget

ABC councillor M Pakathi, who supported the budget, accused councillors who voted against it of punishing residents by refusing to pass it for a sixth time.

“Our contracted security companies are not paid. Our potholes and street lights are not fixed because the budget is rejected by these councillors,” he said.

Pakathi said the finance department had indicated that the budget would not be funded while the Eskom issue remained unresolved. However, he said a proposal from Eskom that would address the debt issue was available and urged councillors to pass the budget in the meantime to improve residents’ lives.

The IFP also supported the budget, accusing the DA of changing its position, after years of supporting an unfunded budget, ahead of the elections despite previously supporting an unfunded budget.

Mayor Mcebo Mkhize told the Courier after the meeting that he was once again disappointed by the ANC and DA councillors who had rejected the budget, saying their actions were damaging the town. He added that the municipality had lost more than R13 million since July, as the new tariffs could not be enforced because the budget had not been passed.

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