Tshwane Mayor Dr Nasiphi Moya reflected on local government efforts to address longstanding municipal challenges while the capital continues to recover.
Presenting the end-of-term report on October 12 ahead of the November 4 local elections, Moya outlined progress made in stabilising municipal finances, improving service delivery, and strengthening governance.
Coalition inherits mounting debt and unfunded budgets
When the ANC, EFF, and ActionSA coalition assumed office in October 2024, the metro had operated with four consecutive unfunded budgets.
She said the city had accumulated more than R13b in debt, including R6.66b owed to Eskom, while carrying just R835m in cash reserves. Severe financial strains, coupled with an adverse audit opinion in 2021/22, left critical infrastructure vulnerable after years of inadequate maintenance.
Financial reforms bring stability and growing reserves
Moya said the administration has restored financial discipline while protecting service delivery.
She said the 2025/26 and 2026/27 budgets were fully funded, ending four consecutive years of unfunded budgets. Revenue collection reached R43.9b during the 2025/26 financial year, representing 98% of the city’s funding plan, while cash reserves grew to around R1.8b by July 2026.
Moya added that a R4.63b VAT liability associated with PEU was settled in March 2025.
Municipal fleet expansion cuts water tanker expenditure
She said the metro has progressively rebuilt municipal capacity to reduce dependence on outsourced water tankers.
She noted that from April 1, 2026, the city transitioned towards a municipal-led service, expanding its fleet to 41 vehicles. Monthly tanker costs dropped from R20.56m to R8.34m, saving more than R12m monthly and allowing the 2026/27 tanker budget to be reduced by 79% to R126.7m.
Governance controls tighten as audit queries drop
She said governance improvements have significantly reduced financial compliance issues.
Moya reported that audit qualification areas dropped from 13 in 2022/23 to two in 2024/25, with 146 investigations finalised and R3.2b in recoveries recommended. However, R15.5b in unauthorised, irregular, fruitless, and wasteful expenditure remains under investigation.
Infrastructure investments target water, power, and roads
Moya said capital programmes have focused on repairing essential services across the metro.
She said that under the Water Stabilisation Plan introduced in March 2026, more than 28km of ageing pipelines were replaced, while clean drinking water is returning to Hammanskraal following upgrades at the Klipdrift Package Plant. In addition, teams repaired 8 218 potholes since April 12, 2026, expanded primary healthcare reach to over one million clinic visits, and boosted the verified investment pipeline from R2b in June 2025 to over R20b in June 2026.
She added that every rand lost through poor controls, irregular expenditure or waste is money that cannot repair a road, replace a transformer, fix a leaking pipe or keep a streetlight working.
Moya said when the coalition took office in October 2024, it inherited an ageing network with water losses of about 39% and infrastructure that in some areas is more than 50 years old.
The mayor said the Water Stabilisation Plan was introduced to bring these interventions together into a structured programme of infrastructure repairs, pressure management, leak reduction, improved metering, and investment in reservoirs and pump stations.
The MMC for Roads and Transport, Tlangi Mogale, said during this term, the city focused on getting stalled projects moving again, maintaining its road network, and investing in transport infrastructure needed for future growth.
Mogale said seven of the 10 contractors affected by previously terminated projects have been reappointed to complete outstanding work. This has allowed stalled projects to resume and helps ensure that money already committed to infrastructure delivers results for residents.
She said the Wonderboom Intermodal Facility is nearing completion, while work continues at the Denneboom Intermodal Facility.
She added that the city is advancing the R600m upgrade of Garstfontein Road into a four-lane road between January Masilela Drive and Loristo Street, improving movement through the Mooikloof development corridor.
Mogale said more than 220km of roads have been resurfaced across communities including Olievenhoutbosch, Soshanguve, Hammanskraal, Atteridgeville, Mamelodi, and Ga-Rankuwa, with further work extending into other parts of Pretoria. This work is particularly important in a city with more than 6 600km of paved roads that must be continuously maintained.
Opposition levels accusations of rising costs and water losses
DA Tshwane Caucus leader Cilliers Brink has criticised Moya’s administration, accusing it of worsening infrastructure problems and increasing reliance on contractors.
Brink claimed contracted services spending rose by R603m and noted that water losses increased from 32% during his mayoral tenure to 41% under Moya.
He further cited reports indicating less than half of R777m spent on water tankers matched valid purchase orders, arguing that the Tshwane metro requires a DA majority to restore accountability.
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