The 2026/2027 Integrated Development Plan has been made available to the community.

At first glance, it immediately looks like a generic ‘one size fits all’ framework dressed up in ambitious but vague aspirations.

But, Mayor Vusi Nhlapo described it as the culmination of a five-year journey and a bridge to the future that the council still aspires to build.

“When we adopted our first IDP at the beginning of this term, we carried bold and heartfelt dreams for our community. We envisioned an Emalahleni Local Municipality that would stimulate economic growth and restore investor confidence in the coal and energy hub of Mpumalanga. We dreamed of roads free of potholes, reliable and clean water flowing to every household, and dignified sanitation services for all. We committed ourselves to improving our audit outcomes – moving from a qualified audit opinion to an unqualified report – and to building a financially viable municipality with a payment rate of 92%, capable of sustaining quality service delivery.”

But what happened in five years?

The municipality is still at square one with a mounting Eskom bill.

“This debt significantly constrains our cash flow, limits our ability to invest in infrastructure upgrades, and affects our overall financial planning. It is a burden we have confronted with honesty, engagement, and ongoing negotiations, while ensuring that service delivery does not collapse under its weight,” Nhlapo said.

Consumers are going to pay more

In a nutshell, the consumer can expect a sharp hike in municipal services, with water and sanitation topping the chart with a 21% increase.

This is a massive jump from the 2023 water increase of 5.3%, the following year 4.9%, and last year 4.4%.
Electricity is going up by 10%.

The same song, just a different tune, comes to mind when the mayor touched on the balance sheet, a failing Financial Recovery Plan, vandalism and theft, and the ageing infrastructure synonymous with Emalahleni.

While the council envisions a Financial Recovery Plan that promises financial stability, improved service delivery, and sustainable economic growth for the City of Coal, this remains an unrealistic dream without genuine commitment.

The ‘dream’ also includes:

But as for commitment, they keep on failing to pay the electricity giant.

“As we conclude this council term, we do so with humility. We have not achieved every dream we articulated at the beginning of our journey. However, we have laid a firmer foundation for institutional stability and improved governance. We have demonstrated that even under immense financial strain, progress is possible when leadership remains focused and accountable,” Nhlapo said.

Water is the hot topic and the municipality indicated – again a copy and paste – that the demand is higher than the supply, high water interruption resulting in water losses, intermittent water supply due to shortage of bulk water supply, deteriorating raw water quality, aged infrastructure, mostly asbestos, vandalism and theft, an inadequate budget for infrastructure development, and maintenance and poor customer satisfaction leading to low revenue collection.

The challenges are the old infrastructure, increased demand as a result of expansions and illegal connections, which causes the electricity infrastructure to be overloaded and explode.

Illegal connections also contribute to the high electricity losses suffered by the municipality.

Furthermore, the municipality is experiencing electrical losses due to old and outdated infrastructure, including illegal connections and bypassing meters.

However, the municipality is conducting audits with regard to zero sales and low purchases, as well as the removal of illegal connections.

The installation of meters is also being prioritised in both industrial and domestic customers.

Going to the roads, about 90% of the streets are damaged and require reconstruction and rehabilitation.

The contributing factors to most street damage are the heavy vehicles driving through the suburbs, the promise of a weighbridge that was never realised, and poor stormwater drainage.

In terms of housing, eMalahleni faces unique challenges and opportunities compared to the broader province and district.

The municipality’s status as an industrial hub attracts a diverse workforce, leading to varied housing needs.

While eMalahleni offers a mix of housing types, including traditional dwellings and modern developments, the demand for affordable housing remains a pressing issue.

This is particularly evident compared to the broader province and district, where housing availability and affordability may vary.

The housing situation is further complicated by its historical context

The mines once attracted workers from various provinces.

After the mines closed, many of these workers stayed, resulting in the creation of 73 informal settlements. Efforts to address housing challenges require collaboration between the government, private sector stakeholders, and communities to ensure equitable access to safe and affordable housing options for all residents.

“They can promise, but they don’t deliver. The municipality has forgotten about Springvalley,” Maria Skhosana lashed out during one of the IDP  meetings.

On a positive note, mining houses and the municipality are collaborating on projects to benefit the community.

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