Note to Editors: Please find attached English and Afrikaans soundbites by Cllr Riëtte Dell and Sesotho soundbite by David Masoeu MPL.
The Democratic Alliance (DA), together with other opposition parties, voted against the Setsoto Local Municipality’s 2026/27 budget during a Council meeting.
The DA highlighted several mistakes and inconsistencies in the IDP, budget documentation, and supporting policies. One example raised during the debate was the repairs and maintenance calculation contained in the IDP, where the figures listed do not appear to add up to the total reflected in the document. While mistakes can happen, financial calculation errors in key planning documents can create uncertainty and undermine public confidence in the planning process.
The concern raised by the DA is that a growing gap remains between what is reflected on paper and what communities experience on the ground.
Residents continue to experience sewer spills, water interruptions, deteriorating roads, infrastructure failures, delayed projects, and ongoing frustrations with service delivery despite paying rates and service charges.
A practical example raised during the debate was that a single municipal cherry picker is effectively expected to serve four towns, despite electricity being one of the municipality’s largest revenue streams, projected to generate approximately R164 million during the 2026/27 financial year.
This illustrates the reality that operational capacity, asset management, and implementation challenges continue to strain service delivery. Communities are therefore justified in asking whether sufficient investment is reaching the operational tools, equipment, and resources needed to maintain the very infrastructure that generates a significant portion of the municipality’s income.
A budget can be technically compliant and financially balanced on paper, but if governance weaknesses, implementation failures, poor consequence management, operational inefficiencies, supply chain shortcomings, and financial leakages continue, communities will not experience the improvements they deserve.
The DA’s position remains that long-term sustainability depends not only on approving budgets but also on ensuring that every rand collected translates into visible, measurable service delivery outcomes for the people of Setsoto. Communities deserve more than good numbers on paper.