ANC secures last-minute Ekurhuleni budget victory after DA backs R71bn spending plan

Johnathan Paoli

The ANC in Ekurhuleni secured a crucial last-minute victory in the city council on Tuesday after councillors approved the metro’s R71 billion budget for the 2026/27 financial year, ending months of political deadlock days before the statutory 30 June deadline.

The special council sitting marked the fifth attempt to pass the budget after four previous efforts failed, with executive mayor Nkosindiphile Xhakaza warning that the municipality risked provincial intervention, including the possible appointment of an administrator, if no budget was adopted before the end of the financial year.

“This goes a long way really to ensure that there’s continued service delivery to our people, that is not just a service delivery, but it is impactful to our people. So, we want to report that out of the council, 16 political parties that are represented, we consulted widely and 15 political parties actually agreed that this budget is responsive,”