Note to Editors: Please find attached English and Sesotho soundbites by Cllr Thulani Mbana and Afrikaans soundbite by Cllr Louis van Heerden.
– DA flags contradictions in Metsimaholo budget.
– Landfill crisis remains unresolved.
– DA to escalate concerns to COGTA and Treasury.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) has submitted written concerns and recommendations to the Municipal Manager regarding the Metsimaholo Local Municipality’s 2026/27 budget and will escalate the matter to the Provincial Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA), Provincial Treasury, should these concerns not be addressed.
Recently, the council of the Metsimaholo Local Municipality debated the 2026/2027 budget. Although the budget has been passed by 5 coalition partners, the DA expressed concerns about it. Even though the budget appears funded, it is shrouded in contradictions and inconsistencies.
This budget doesn’t inspire much confidence, as it promises only lip service and compliance, without real solutions to the deepening failures in service delivery. Among other issues highlighted by the DA are inconsistencies in the AG reports and the municipality’s cash flow. During his speech, the mayor promised to acquire several yellow fleet vehicles, but the finances and collection rate don’t align with the Executive Mayor’s ambitions.
This budget didn’t include the acquisition of a landfill site. The current landfill site license expired over 10 years ago, it’s at capacity, and the municipality is not compliant. This is a clear violation of Sec 152 of the Constitution of South Africa and health and safety regulations. The administration’s 85% collection rate is not realistic.
The municipality, in this financial year ending, predicted a 75% collection rate but failed dismally to achieve it; yet it projected a 10% increase, even though it admitted during the adjustment budget that it had failed to meet its current target.
The DA will continue to monitor the progress and hold the government and administration to account.