Dear Editor
While the people of the Inxuba Yethemba Municipality (IYM) suffer and service delivery has come to a grinding halt, the ANC has forced through an unlawful budget containing unjustifiably high tariff increases.
In a blatant display of autocracy, the Speaker shut down opposition voices at a 10 June 2025 council meeting, unilaterally declaring the ANC’s 2025/26 budget adopted without a vote. This conduct is both procedurally unlawful and an attack on democracy.
The DA has written to the MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA), Zolile Williams, to investigate the unlawful conduct of the Speaker, review the flawed council procedure, and ensure the budget is properly debated and lawfully adopted
Instead of cutting wasteful spending, such as R50 million on external consultants, or selling off unused assets, the ANC has opted to burden households with massive tariff hikes. Residents will now pay more for services they are barely receiving.
The DA rejects this budget and the unjustified tariff increases which include:
- Property rates: 10%
- Sanitation: 8%
- Electricity: 13.32%
- Waste management: 8%
The Municipal Finance Management Act’s Budget Circular No. 130 forecasts 4.6% inflation and warns that households will struggle to pay municipal bills due to weaker economic growth.
Coupled with the rising cost of living crisis these tariff hikes are unconscionable and might force residents into the position of choosing between paying for municipal services or buying food.
The ANC has turned the council chamber into a “spaza shop” of power abuse and residents now have to pay for its corrupt activities and mismanagement.
The people of Inxuba Yethemba deserve better. The DA will fight to save them from economic despair and failed service delivery.
Regards
Cllr Monde Desha
DA Inxuba Yethemba Caucus Leader