Organisers told reporters, “today we are gathered here in Sinaba Stadium, here in Daveyton. It’s regarding the same issue that we have, we want all undocumented immigrants to leave South Africa because we want to fix our country. We have a lot of problems. We have a lot of crimes that have been committed. When you try to find a person, you can’t find them because they are untraceable. They don’t have documents. They just come to the country illegally. We want them to go. We want them to go and fix their own countries as much as we also have our own problems that we want to fix here in South Africa.”

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The Mabahambe march forms part of a week-long series of regional demonstrations across Gauteng, culminating in Saturday’s gathering.

Organisers, including local civic groups and activists, have set a self-declared deadline of 30 June 2026 for undocumented foreign nationals to vacate the country.

The protests have already had a significant impact.

Immigrant-owned spaza shops in Actonville, Wattville, and Etwatwa closed pre-emptively amid fears of looting and xenophobic violence.

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Organisers blame undocumented immigrants for youth unemployment, drug trade, cable theft, and violent crime, claiming they dominate the informal economy.

Police have been deployed heavily across Benoni to monitor the crowds, prevent school children from joining, and maintain a buffer between marchers and local shops. Police officials confirmed they are engaging with organisers to manage tensions and prevent violence.

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The Department of Home Affairs has launched a nationwide campaign to assist individuals whose identity documents were blocked before November 2022, giving affected persons an opportunity to regularise their status and prevent possible cancellation of their identity numbers.

The department said the campaign forms part of efforts to protect the integrity of the National Population Register while ensuring that affected individuals are afforded a fair opportunity to explain their circumstances.

ALSO READ: Zulu royal household rejects calls for King Misuzulu to address anti-immigration protests

According to Home Affairs, many identity numbers were blocked under Section 19 of the Identification Act (Act No. 68 of 1997), including records flagged as duplicates, cases requiring status verification, and other disputed registrations. To date, the department says it has successfully unblocked 2,202,368 identity numbers.

In a public notice issued in terms of the Promotion of Administrative Justice Act (PAJA), Home Affairs announced that it will investigate whether blocked identity documents correctly reflect the details of the individuals to whom they were assigned.

The department said some of the blocked records include cases classified as duplicates, illegal immigrants, and citizens of Namibia, formerly South West Africa.

Affected individuals are required to appear in person at any Home Affairs office to submit written and oral representations explaining why their identity numbers should not remain blocked or be cancelled.

Applicants are encouraged to bring supporting documents where available, including birth certificates, clinic cards, proof of birth from hospitals, parents’ identity documents, school records, affidavits from parents or informants, and any other documents that may assist in confirming their identity, citizenship or legal status.

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Home Affairs warned that identity documents may be cancelled if investigations find that they were issued to individuals who do not qualify for inclusion in the National Population Register, contain incorrect personal information, were obtained through fraud or misrepresentation, or have been forged, altered or unlawfully manipulated.

The department has given affected individuals until 10 July 2026 to submit their representations and supporting documents at any Home Affairs office.

It warned that failure to comply within the six-week period could result in the cancellation of the affected identity number without further notice.

Home Affairs urged all affected individuals to act promptly and visit their nearest office to ensure their records are verified and regularised.

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The ANC has criticised the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) and the Democratic Alliance (DA) after Ekurhuleni’s proposed R71 billion budget for the 2026/27 financial year was rejected by the city council.

During an extraordinary council meeting at the OR Tambo Government Precinct in Germiston on Thursday, the budget failed to secure the required support, with 96 councillors voting in favour and 105 against.

The rejection means Finance MMC and ANC regional secretary Jongizizwe Dlabathi must return with a revised budget for consideration at a future council sitting.

Following the vote, the ANC accused the EFF of aligning with the DA and FF Plus to block what it described as a pro-poor budget aimed at accelerating service delivery and improving residents’ lives.

Dlabathi said the budget complied with all legislative requirements and was developed through extensive public consultation involving residents, stakeholders and organised labour.

“The people of Ekurhuleni deserve to know that this budget reflects their priorities and aspirations. By opposing it, these parties have effectively turned their backs on the voices of residents who participated in the consultation process and expressed their urgent need for improved service delivery,” he said.

He warned that delays in approving the budget could affect infrastructure projects and municipal operations, including efforts to stabilise electricity supply in areas such as Kwa-Thema and the implementation of agreements affecting municipal workers.

“The ANC rejects the politics of obstruction and self-righteous posturing that continue to undermine progress in our city,” Dlabathi said.

The EFF welcomed the budget’s defeat, describing it as a victory for accountability, constitutional governance and democratic oversight.

In a statement, EFF Gauteng provincial chairperson Nkululeko Dunga said the party opposed the budget because it failed to address the worsening conditions faced by residents and relied on unrealistic revenue assumptions.

“Despite the municipality’s worsening financial position and repeated failures to meet revenue collection targets, the budget continued to rely on unrealistic revenue projections while presenting itself as a credible financial plan,” Dunga said.

The EFF also criticised what it said were significant spending and policy changes introduced after the public participation process had concluded.

Among its concerns were the proposed establishment of an Ekurhuleni Development Agency (EDA) with a budget allocation of R15 million and the transfer of R62 million from Service Delivery Coordination to the Enterprise Project Management Office.

Dunga said these changes represented substantial shifts in spending priorities that should have been subjected to further public scrutiny.

He also argued that the budget failed to address the municipality’s reliance on outsourcing and contracted services while residents continued to experience infrastructure failures, sewage spillages, electricity outages, water interruptions and illegal dumping.

“The rejection of this budget is not a rejection of service delivery. It is a rejection of poor planning, unrealistic assumptions, misplaced priorities, and governance that continues to fail the people of Ekurhuleni,” Dunga said.

The DA also welcomed the budget’s rejection, arguing that it would have imposed an additional financial burden on residents already struggling with the rising cost of living.

DA Ekurhuleni mayoral candidate Khathutshelo Rasilingwane said the party voted against what it called an ANC-led coalition budget because it proposed tariff increases without addressing the city’s structural challenges.

“The Democratic Alliance in the City of Ekurhuleni has voted against the budget presented by the ANC-led coalition which would have pushed cash-strapped residents further into financial despair through increased rates and taxes while failing to address the systemic collapse of the city,” Rasilingwane said.

She cited proposed tariff increases of 11% for water, 8.35% for sanitation, 9% for electricity and 4% for refuse removal, saying residents could not absorb additional financial pressure.

“These hikes, coupled with successive interest rate increases and fuel price hikes, would have only made life more difficult for residents in the city,” she said.

The DA said the outcome vindicated its position, arguing that councillors had exercised sound judgement in rejecting a budget that would not resolve the municipality’s governance and service delivery challenges.

The budget impasse follows disputes over voting procedures and legal requirements that led to the collapse of a council meeting last week.

The council is now expected to consider a revised budget, as pressure mounts on political parties to reach consensus on the city’s spending plans.

The delay leaves uncertainty over funding for key infrastructure projects, service delivery programmes and operational commitments in one of South Africa’s largest metropolitan municipalities.

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Security guards allegedly opened fire on an e-hailing car in KwaNdengezi, west of Durban, on Wednesday night, after ordering the driver to remove his female passengers.

The driver allegedly lost control and crashed into another vehicle after shots were fired at the car’s tyres, KwaZulu-Natal Transport and Human Settlements MEC Siboniso Duma said on Thursday.

The incident, captured in a video circulating online, has triggered an investigation by the department’s public regulatory entity and Operation Shanela, working with police and Metro Police.

Duma said the department was alerted to the incident after receiving “distressed” calls from the leadership of the KZN E-Hailing Council.

“They shared a video showing an attack on the e-hailing driver who was transporting female passengers,” Duma said.

“Security guards from a company allegedly hired by KwaNdengezi Taxi Association are seen in the circulating video brandishing guns and ordering the e-hailing driver to drop off female passengers.

“We have been informed that shots were fired at the tyres resulting in the e-hailing driver losing control and his car colliding with another car.”

Duma said ballistic experts should be brought in to examine any cartridges found at the scene.

“[W]e are calling upon the Private Security Industry Regulatory Authority (PSiRA) to come closer to this matter. Clearly, the gun-wielding security guards must be investigated for the violation of the Private Security Industry Regulation Act,” Duma said.

“From the onset, we wish to condemn, in the strongest terms, the violent attack on the e-hailing driver, the harassment, and the intimidation of helpless females in KwaNdengezi Township, west of Durban,” Duma said.

“Finally, we commit to ensuring stability in the public transport sector, working with the South African National Taxi Council and other key role players.”

The KwaNdengezi shooting comes as e-hailing drivers are frequently seen as easy targets for criminals, and after recurring tension between e-hailing operators and parts of the minibus taxi industry in the province, the latter having accused the e-hailers of edging in on their clientele.

In February, a Durban Bolt driver was assaulted and extorted outside Phoenix Plaza, with Duma saying at the time that there should be “no no-go zones for e-hailing drivers” in the province.

In August 2025, 15 people were taken in for questioning after e-hailing drivers were assaulted and shot at in KwaDabeka, also west of Durban.

In one of the most serious cases, Uber driver Zwakushiwo Dennis Zondi, 53, was killed on 26 December 2024 after being lured for a trip, with seven men later appearing in the KwaZulu-Natal High Court in Durban on charges including murder, kidnapping and robbery with aggravating circumstances.

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South Africa is preparing to begin formal extradition proceedings against two Mozambican nationals arrested for allegedly murdering a Mossel Bay couple in the Kruger National Park last month.

The suspects, aged 32 and 33, were arrested in Mozambique following a coordinated cross-border investigation.

The bodies of Ernst Marais, 71, and his wife Dina, 73, were discovered near Crooks Corner in the park on 22 May.

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Preliminary investigations revealed that both victims had sustained multiple stab wounds. Their Ford Ranger double cab was stolen during the attack and later smuggled into Mozambique.

Police recovered the vehicle in Chókwè on 26 May, which ultimately led to the arrest of the suspects.

The first suspect was arrested in Chókwè on 1 June, while the second was apprehended in Xai-Xai in Gaza province a day later.

The suspects have since appeared before a court in Maputo and are facing two counts of murder and hijacking. Authorities have said that additional charges could be added as investigations continue.

Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment Willie Aucamp welcomed the arrests, saying they were the result of extensive cooperation between South African and Mozambican authorities.

“We said that these criminals would be apprehended, and that is exactly what has happened,” Aucamp said.

He thanked law enforcement agencies, SANParks officials, conservation partners and Mozambican authorities for their role in securing the arrests.

He said the investigation established a positive link between the suspects and the murders.

It is understood that the suspects have confessed to their involvement in the crime.

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Aucamp reiterated that criminal activity would not be tolerated in South Africa’s national parks and called for continued cooperation between communities, conservation authorities and law enforcement agencies to protect the country’s protected areas.

While welcoming the breakthrough, he acknowledged the loss suffered by the Marais family.

“I hope that these arrests will provide some measure of comfort to them as they continue to navigate this difficult journey,” he said.

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“I appreciate you for standing with me when others doubted me, because you know who I am,” she told supporters. “I have devoted my entire life to serving the city that I love, where I was born, and I’m going to continue to do that all the way to victory in November.”

The Associated Press has not yet called a second candidate to advance to the runoff. California has a history of substantial vote updates after Election Day that can sometimes shift the outcome as late-arriving mail and drop-off ballots are counted.

Spencer Pratt, a Republican and former star of the reality television show “The Hills,” was second in early returns. Pratt accuses Bass of letting the fires get out of control and failing to make enough progress on the homeless crisis.

Speaking to reporters outside a restaurant where he gathered with supporters, Pratt signaled he would welcome a matchup with Bass, a former member of Congress and the first Black woman to serve as mayor.

“This is not a candidate that I’m too concerned about,” he said.

“I got in this because as a citizen, I felt like my city failed — myself, my neighbors, my family,” Pratt said. “Mayor Bass has allowed the city to be covered in potholes. We don’t have sidewalks. We don’t have lights.”

“I’m an Angeleno who said ‘Enough is enough,’” Pratt said.

Bass has acknowledged that her time in office has been bumpy but pointed to reductions in homelessness and a historically low homicide rate in the nation’s second most populous city.

Running behind Bass and Pratt was Nithya Raman, a former ally of the mayor and a progressive city council member elected with support from the Democratic Socialists of America. A Democrat, Raman campaigned on promises to reduce inequality, revive the slumping entertainment industry and build more housing.

Political observers said a November runoff would be likely with 14 names on the ballot, including tech entrepreneur Adam Miller and community activist Rae Huang.

Bass defends her record

Pratt’s candidacy drew national attention as a barometer for dissatisfaction with liberal urban governance and because of viral videos that supporters created with artificial intelligence.

Bass lined up most of the Democratic establishment behind her, including former Vice President Kamala Harris, Gov. Gavin Newsom and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, along with the city’s powerful labor unions.

Candidates made a rush of last-minute appeals to voters, urging them to cast ballots in an election that appeared headed for a light turnout. Bass made a swing through the heavily Hispanic Boyle Heights neighborhood, where she recalled federal immigration raids in which she said Pratt and Raman were “nowhere to be found.”

In online posts before polls closed, Pratt said the contest had become a two-person race between him and Bass and said a vote for either Raman or Miller would be wasted.

“At this point, it’s me and Karen,” Pratt said.

Voter Jose Rivera said he backed Bass because she deserves a second term to deliver on her promises: “She’s done a pretty good job in my opinion overall.”

Another, Leo Blain, said he was drawn to Raman’s progressive agenda and believes she can be effective at building coalitions in the diverse city.

“I think she has a really good understanding about how the city of LA works and would be a really effective mayor,” Blain said outside his polling place.

Los Angeles faces questions about its future

The race unfolded at an unsettled time for the city.

The mayor is still trying to overcome fallout from her absence when the most destructive wildfire in Los Angeles history ignited in a wealthy seaside neighborhood in January 2025. Bass was on a trip to Ghana as part of a presidential delegation. Pratt lost his home in the Palisades Fire, which killed 12 people. And some say the recovery is happening too slowly.

While statistics suggest that Bass has made headway on homelessness, makeshift encampments and rows of rusting RVs remain commonplace across the city. Complaints about the rising cost of living — whether for rent, taxes or groceries — are a constant refrain. Dirty, pocked streets and sidewalks abound.

Meanwhile Hollywood jobs have been decamping for years to more affordable filming locales. Trump administration immigration raids also shook the city.

Population in the once-booming region is falling — Los Angeles County lost about 54,000 people from July 2024 to July 2025, the largest numeric population drop in the nation, according to federal figures.

Crime statistics are down, but public safety is still an issue. World Cup games begin in Southern California in June, and Los Angeles is readying to host the 2028 Olympics. The federal government spearheads security at the Olympics, but there are already concerns that the Los Angeles Police Department will not have adequate funding or personnel to hold up its end of the job.

Bass has acknowledged making missteps but argued that a drop in homelessness and a historically low homicide rate show she is making progress. “I’ll keep fighting for LA,” she said.

Pratt has focused his campaign on reducing homelessness and boosting police ranks, arguing that an outsider is needed to shake up city hall. Looking to tap into voter frustration, he says he is “an Angeleno who’s had enough” and rails against “homeless drug zombies” on the streets.

He received a nod of approval — if not an actual endorsement — from President Donald Trump, who recently said, “I heard he’s a big MAGA person.”

That remark could haunt Pratt in a city where Trump is widely unpopular beyond his conservative base and Republicans account for less than 15% of registered voters.

AP

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Treasury Director-General Duncan Pieterse thinks the Iran war will not derail South Africa’s fiscal trajectory. He was speaking at a Citi emerging markets conference.

Recent fiscal outcomes have beaten forecasts: South Africa achieved a third consecutive primary surplus for the fiscal year to end-March, of 1.1% of gross domestic product (GDP) against a budget estimate of 0.9%.

Relief measures rolled out in response to the Iran war are designed to be fiscally-neutral: Fuel levy relief from April to June will cost R17.2-billion, but this will be funded by the fiscal outperformance from the previous year.

There are near-term buffers: before the war economic growth was improving, the current account was balanced, the rand was on a solid footing and bond yields were compressed.

Expenditure is largely insulated from higher inflation: the public sector wage bill accounts for almost one-third of spending over the medium term, but there is a wage deal in place until the 2027/28 fiscal year.

Debt dynamics have structurally improved: debt is expected to have peaked in 2025/26 and to decrease to 76.5% of GDP by 2028/29.

The finances of state-owned companies are turning around, reducing the risk of further calls for fiscal support. One of the biggest drains has been power utility Eskom, but it is on course for its second consecutive full-year profit. Eskom last implemented electricity blackouts over a year ago. 

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His family said in a statement that Bryson died Tuesday evening, days after having a stroke.

“While our hearts are broken, we find comfort in knowing how deeply Peabo was loved and how many lives were touched by his voice and his generous spirit,” the family’s statement said. “His legacy and music will live on for generations to come.”

Internationally celebrated for his Disney classics, Bryson also built a career over five decades as one of R&B’s premier balladeers, recording hits including “Feel the Fire,” “I’m So Into You” and “Can You Stop the Rain.”

“For more than five decades, Peabo’s extraordinary voice served as the soundtrack to some of life’s most cherished moments,” the family’s statement said.

“His music carried generations through joyful celebrations, great love stories and enduring moments of comfort and inspiration.”

Born and raised in South Carolina, the singer, songwriter and balladeer launched his career with the group Moses Dillard and the Tex-Town Display in the 1970s.

Shortly afterward, Atlanta label Bang Records signed him as a solo artist.

He recorded for Capitol, Elektra and Columbia Records and became one of music’s most sought-after duet partners. Aside from Belle and Dion, he also collaborated with artists including Roberta Flack and Natalie Cole.

His duet with Flack, “Tonight, I Celebrate My Love,” became one of the defining love songs of the 1980s, while “If Ever You’re in My Arms Again” helped expand his audience beyond R&B radio.

He later scored No. 1 R&B hits with “Show & Tell” and “Can You Stop the Rain.”

Beyond music, Bryson appeared in stage productions including “Raisin,” “The Wiz” and “Porgy and Bess.” In 2018, he returned with “Stand for Love,” his 21st studio album, produced by hitmaking duo Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis.

Bryson had a stroke in late May and was placed under medical care.

“At this time, the family requests privacy as they navigate this deeply personal moment together,” a statement from his representative read at the time.

“The thoughts, prayers and love of friends and fans are welcomed and deeply appreciated.”

In 2019, Bryson made a full recovery after having a heart attack.

Comedian and television host Loni Love said she worked with Bryson on a cruise ship last year and spoke with him for hours on the deck one night after she noticed him sitting alone.

“He shared incredible stories, spoke passionately about his music, and had such a deep love for his craft,” she wrote in a social media post Tuesday. “I am so grateful to have had that special moment with him.”

Bryson’s family said memorial and celebration-of-life arrangements will be announced at a later date.

AP

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Democratic Alliance Johannesburg mayoral candidate Helen Zille has said a DA-led administration would seek an urgent Treasury-backed rescue plan for the embattled city.

Addressing residents at a community meeting hosted by the Melville Residents Association on Tuesday night, Zille said South Africa’s economic hub could still be rebuilt, but added that restoring its finances, infrastructure and governance would require intervention from national institutions, the private sector, and international funders.

Eskom said last month that the city and City Power already owed it R5.255 billion in arrears, excluding a further R1.582 billion current account payment due on 5 June.

Zille said the city’s financial position was far worse than official figures suggested.

“Joburg’s debt is currently 65% of its revenue. And it should never be more than 45% of its revenue. That’s where we are now. And that tells you how shocking the state is,” she said.

She accused the current administration of manipulating financial figures and creating new senior management posts ahead of the elections, saying this was part of a culture of corruption, mismanagement, and “last-lap looting”.

“They made provision for 2,000 more senior managers. They’re already massively top-heavy,” she said.

She said a DA-led administration would immediately bring together strong players to develop a financial rescue plan for the city.

“The first thing we will do is get together in the same space, the Johannesburg task team in the National Treasury, the Joburg recovery plan under Operation Vulindlela in the Presidency, and then I want to bring in the Auditor-General as well,” she said.

She said the city would also need to seek funding from international institutions and expand public-private partnerships to rehabilitate essential services.

“We will then first of all have to get a lot of money from the Presidency and the resource mobilisation group,” she said. “Then we will have to go very quickly into public-private partnerships for all the major trading services,” she said.

Zille said Johannesburg’s recovery would depend on restoring confidence among investors, residents and businesses after years of deterioration in basic services.

“We want to get people who are prepared to invest and grow the economy in Joburg. We want to get them loving Joburg, seeing their future in Joburg. And that will bring 200,000 new jobs to Joburg, we are hoping,” she said.

Residents raised concerns about water outages, electricity disruptions, deteriorating roads, and weak service delivery across the city.

Zille acknowledged that reliable water and electricity would not be restored quickly, even under a DA administration, saying the scale of the collapse meant a turnaround would take years.

“When I say reliable water and electricity for all residents, it sounds as if it should be a given. It should be taken for granted. It isn’t. It’ll take us five years if we push as hard as we can to fulfil that pledge,” she said.

She criticised the current administration’s “inadequate” infrastructure targets, saying Johannesburg’s water network required a far more ambitious pipe-replacement programme.

“They were boasting that their target was to replace 15 kilometres of water pipe and then actually replace 20. They should be replacing nearly 200 kilometres of water pipe a year, given the crisis that they’re facing,” she said.

Zille said Johannesburg’s decline was not limited to finances and engineering systems, but extended to planning, law enforcement and urban management.

On urban planning, she said the city needed responsible densification as more people moved into cities, but added that it should not be done in a way that damaged established residential communities.

“Our cities need to densify because more and more people are urbanising. We cannot have total urban sprawl,” she said.

However, she said suburbs such as Melville were already relatively dense and suggested that future development should focus on larger properties elsewhere in the city.

“Melville is quite a densified suburb to begin with. I wouldn’t actually start anywhere near Melville. I would start in those huge properties that I see in Houghton,” she said.

Housing hijackings and illegal occupation of buildings also emerged as major concerns during the meeting.

Zille said weak enforcement and legal obstacles had contributed to the problem. The city needed to act more firmly against criminal networks operating in the built environment, she said.

“We’ve got to deal with the hijacking of buildings first. That I’m absolutely determined to stop.”

She called for greater use of municipal bylaws and criticised the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department for failing to enforce regulations effectively.

“When I went to speak to the municipal courts, they said to me, ‘We’ve got no cases because the Metro Police never apply the bylaws.’ That’s got to change,” she said.

Zille said organised criminal syndicates had taken advantage of the collapse of municipal systems, pointing to the so-called “water mafia” and other networks that profit when public services fail.

“There are lots of mafias. Everywhere there’s money to be made you’ll find the municipal systems break down and then the service providers have to be brought in from outside.”

She said cable theft and vandalism were major contributors to infrastructure collapse, and that the deterioration of public facilities in areas such as Ennerdale was simply a reflection of overall governance failure.

Zille told residents to become more politically active ahead of the local government elections on 4 November, saying voter turnout would be critical to changing the city’s direction.

“We got in 481,000 people voting for the DA on both ballots. All we need is 9,000 more. Our big task in this election is to get them registered and get them out to vote,” she said.

Drawing comparisons with the DA’s governance record in Cape Town, Zille said Johannesburg’s recovery would require ambitious targets, long-term planning and sustained political will.

“I always, in government, set the most stretched targets I can. In Cape Town between 2021 and now, they’ve attracted 400,000 new jobs,” she said.

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Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana has handed the Ditsobotla Local Municipality its revised Financial Recovery Plan (FRP), which is meant to tackle a R2.1 billion cash shortfall, creditor payment days of more than 3,000 days and bloated staff costs of 720 workers, when the municipality is said to require just over half that number, or about 450 employees.

The handover was witnessed by North West Finance MEC Kenetswe Mosenogi, Ditsobotla mayor Molefe Morutse and National Cabinet Representative, effectively the municipal administrator, Kopung Ralikontsane.

Ditsobotla is in the Ngaka Modiri Molema District Municipality in North West and is anchored in the town of Lichtenburg, with surrounding towns including Coligny and Biesiesvlei. The municipality is mainly an agricultural hub, but it has also lost dairy producer Clover due to poor infrastructure and services.

Ralikontsane was appointed last September when the municipality was placed under an intervention through section 139(7) of the Constitution. Ditsobotla has had eight previous unsuccessful interventions, but none appears to have worked.

“I can only surmise that part of the reason for eight failures is that we have not fully embraced what it means to be under an intervention,” said Godongwana at the handover.

“When a municipality is under intervention, it is not operating under normal conditions. The municipality is operating under constrained conditions with fewer financial resources. Therefore, it cannot be “business as usual” in the way the day-to-day activities are run and managed”

Godongwana noted a need for a change in mindset, saying: “Habits, attitudes and mindsets must shift in this process. An intervention mindset must be adopted to kickstart recovery. I believe that officials from the Municipal Financial Recovery Services unit are already assisting the municipality with change management.”

In April this year, the Select Committee on Cooperative Governance and Public Administration, including Traditional Affairs, Human Settlements and Water and Sanitation, at the National Council of Provinces, called for better co-ordination in supporting the municipality.

Committee chairperson Mxolisi Kaunda said that while National Treasury and Cogta were supporting Ditsobotla, other departments, such as Human Settlements, also needed to become more involved.

Godongwana noted that the intervention does not come with a financial bailout.

“Neither national nor provincial interventions are accompanied by financial bailouts.” Godongwana said.

“However, this does not mean that other forms of support will not be provided to get you moving. The National Treasury will provide you with fuel by exploring options to assist the municipality with smart metering and metering for bulk supply and will investigate further opportunities for assistance.”

This means Ditsobotla will be assisted to restore its revenue collection measures. The municipality has received some financial support from national government. For example, Cogta and National Treasury have allocated R30 million to help procure fleet vehicles to resume waste management.

The Treasury report notes that revenue collection rates stand at 44%, while outstanding consumer debt is about R1.3 billion. The report says “weak credit control measures, poor billing systems and resistance to debt collection have undermined revenue recovery efforts.”

Treasury says Ditsobotla has completed the section 78 process required to sign the Distribution Agency Agreement with Eskom.

“This is a partnership where Eskom takes over electricity revenue collection and technical management in struggling municipalities,” Treasury said.

Various departments also made an undertaking to support the municipality during a visit by Deputy President Paul Mashatile.

The FRP shows that the municipality’s 2025/26 medium-term budget is unfunded by R2.1 billion, after all liabilities are considered, with no cash available to cover operating expenses against the standard period of between one and three months.

Electricity distribution losses stand at 85%, while water distribution losses stand at 58%. The municipality’s creditor payment period is 3,188 days, meaning it takes, on average, more than eight years to pay creditors.

Ralikontsane has said the current workforce of 720 is far above what the municipality requires, with Ditsobotla needing about 450 workers to operate efficiently.

Earlier this year, the Democratic Alliance raised alarm over spending on the Municipal Infrastructure Grant, which in 2024/25 had an allocation of R32 million, while spending stood at below 50% and internal roads and key arterial routes vital for connectivity and economic activity were deteriorating.

At the same time, the South African Municipal Workers’ Union pointed out that the municipality had not handed over workers’ pension contributions for more than a year.

The troubled municipality is expected to remain under supervision well beyond the upcoming local government elections.

“The National Treasury will continue with oversight visits and closely monitor the implementation of the financial recovery plan through the monthly progress reporting by the municipality and through War Room meetings which will take place quarterly”, Godongwana said.

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