Tshwane Mayor Dr. Nasiphi Moya has raised alarm over the city’s annual expenditure of R30 million on salaries for suspended officials, most of whom are senior managers.

“One of the concerns that we have was the amount of money that we pay for people who are sitting at home,” Moya said.

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“We gave an instruction to look at those cases that can realistically be brought back to the city so that managers don’t just send people on suspension because they don’t want that colleague at work.”

Moya explained how disciplinary processes have dragged on, with some officials finding ways to delay proceedings.

“Either they will change lawyers. When they change lawyers, they ask for an extension. They find a way to play with the system, and they are within their rights,” she said.

According to Moya, about 80% of the R30 million is tied to the Rooiwal Wastewater Treatment Works tender scandal and other 2023 cases involving senior officials.

“Their disciplinary process is not concluded because now you’re spending 30 million rand on people that are supposed to be at work that aren’t at work,” she said.

The Rooiwal matter, linked to irregular contracts worth nearly R295 million, has already been the subject of Bargaining Council rulings, Labour Court appeals, and ongoing Special Investigating Unit probes. These legal complexities have kept the officials on suspension while the city continues to foot the bill.

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Moya acknowledged that in some cases, such as Rooiwal, the city’s hands are tied due to pending court processes.

“As I’m saying, the Rooiwal, what can you do realistically when there’s a court case?” she asked.

While stressing that suspended officials are entitled to due process, Moya said the city must find ways to conclude disciplinary matters more efficiently.

“You’re spending millions on people who are supposed to be at work. That’s money that could be used for service delivery,” she said.

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Parliament’s Standing Committee on Public Accounts (Scopa) heard on Tuesday how the City of Tshwane is still struggling to recover from years of financial instability caused by unfunded budgets, weak revenue collection and poor audit outcomes, even though some areas of expenditure control have improved.

Tshwane mayor Dr Nasiphi Moya told the committee that the metro’s financial troubles could be traced back to the 2020/2021 financial year, when the city adopted an unfunded budget with an average deficit of about R4 billion.

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Moya said the trend continued for four years, affecting the city’s ability to deliver on its promises to residents. Although the deficit was later reduced to about R2 billion, the municipality was unable to secure a loan to augment its finances because of its audit findings.

“So, while we were looking at how do we then stabilise the finances of the institution, we had to take a deep dive in terms of the data’s book. What is it that we can do differently so that we can get more residents to pay for their services?

“The municipality wasn’t collecting enough to boost council funding. But in terms of the root cause of this financial instability, also was the issue of revenue collection,” she said.

Moya admitted to the committee that Tshwane had battled financial instability for several years and had suffered poor audit outcomes, including an adverse audit opinion in 2021/2022 and qualified audit opinions in subsequent years.

She said the municipality had begun to turn the corner in the past financial year, although the city still received a qualified audit opinion with findings.

Moya said the municipality adopted a debt relief scheme, which helped improve revenue collection and enabled it to return to a funded budget for the 2025/2026 financial year, even though some compromises had to be made.

The city heightened its revenue collection drive by working with businesses and households and assisting some customers through the writing off of a portion of their debts in order to encourage more regular payment for services.

Moya said the municipality adopted this stance because the indigent basket had grown in a city facing high unemployment. She said Tshwane had also increased the property-value threshold for indigent households from R150 000 to R250 000.

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The executive mayor said water tankers were costing the municipality millions of rand, especially tankers used for emergency services, and that the city had decided to cut spending in this area.

She said when the water-tanker scandal broke, it forced the municipality to investigate what had gone wrong.

“While we could explain when the expenditure happened, how it happened and the root causes for it, we did say that we could not justify the amount of money we are spending on water tankers, especially for emergency services. So, what we decided chair, was to cut the expenditure on water tankers,” she said.

Moya told the committee that irregular expenditure remained a serious concern, with the city reporting that irregular expenditure had risen sharply over recent years. The municipality said a large portion of this had been investigated, but the increase continued to point to weaknesses in financial controls.

In its presentation to the committee, the municipality said its internal processes had improved over time, and that the downward trend in new material irregularities issued by Auditor-General Tsakani Maluleke showed progress.

The city said only 14 material irregularities had been issued against Tshwane since the 2018/2019 financial year audit, and that no new material irregularity was issued in the past financial year. Of the 14 previously issued, the city said it had adequately addressed 12.

On audit outcomes, Tshwane received a qualified audit opinion with findings for the previous financial year.

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eThekwini Municipality Mayor Cyril Xaba (ANC) has called on KwaZulu-Natal’s MEC for Public Works and Infrastructure Martin Meyer (DA) to settle rates debt of over R500 million owed by the department, after the city cut electricity to several provincial facilities.

Meyer said his department tried repeatedly to reach the municipality last week to agree on a payment plan but got no response. The standoff has led to power being cut to the offices of public works, transport, and education, as well as licensing centres in Durban and Pietermaritzburg.

“On 28 November 2025, we formally declared an Intergovernmental Dispute under the Intergovernmental Relations Framework Act. This is a legally mandatory process for resolving disputes between organs of state.

eThekwini has chosen to ignore it entirely, in direct violation of the Constitution. This leaves us with no choice but to consider our options further,” Meyer said.

“This morning (Tuesday), eThekwini’s sister municipality, Msunduzi, also chose to cut services to provincial government buildings under a similar guise as eThekwini, again without proper communication, without consideration of payment arrangements, and in circumstances that mirror the same irrational and unlawful conduct we have seen in eThekwini,” Meyer said.

He said his department manages more than 10,000 provincial government properties, while user departments are responsible for their own water and electricity accounts.

He said the issue was driven by underfunding of municipal rates across the province, not mismanagement of finances. “We are fixing this through payment plans, budget adjustments, a clean-up of valuation rolls, property disposals, and revenue-generation initiatives that will deliver results over time.”

Xaba, however, accused the DA of political double standards.

“The DA can’t speak from both sides of the mouth. They are running a misinformation campaign regarding beach water quality results, yet their silence is deafening regarding the money owed to the City by the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure,” he said.

Meyer accused the municipality of using credit control as a political weapon. “Cutting services to essential government buildings in bad faith undermines the municipality’s constitutional mandate to provide sustainable service delivery and a safe, healthy environment,” he said.

Xaba called on DA executive committee members in the city to work with him to persuade the department to pay the outstanding debt urgently. He said the move formed part of a wider effort to recover monies owed by residents, businesses and state entities, including enforcing credit control through disconnections and referring debtors to collectors.

Meyer said he had again invited the municipality to discuss a payment proposal but that eThekwini had ignored the dispute-resolution process.

“We will not allow unlawful conduct to compromise service delivery. We remain committed to paying what is due, transparently and responsibly, but we will also defend the province against actions that violate the law and harm the public.”

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The 14% increase in trade to the US, which totalled $202-million, comes as South Africa braces for the imposition of a 30% tariff on exports to the country by the Trump administration when a 90-day grace period expires in July.

“From now on a great deal hinge on whether South Africa succeeds in securing favourable terms with the US,” Wandile Sihlobo, chief economist of the Agricultural Business Chamber of South Africa, said in a note to clients on Monday.

South African farming exports rose for a sixth consecutive year in 2024 to a record $13.7-billion, as the industry expanded output of crops such as citrus, avocados and nuts, and sought new markets.

While it account for only 2% of total gross domestic product, the sector is a important source of employment for unskilled workers.

The statistics office will release first-quarter GDP data on Tuesday.

In the three months through March, other African countries accounted for 45% of farm exports, the European Union 23% and Asia and the Middle East 16%. The US received 4% of shipments, mainly citrus, wine, fruit juice and grapes.

Farming imports rose 19% to $1.94-billion, resulting in a $1.42-billion agricultural trade surplus.

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This budget is the first to be passed by the ANC-led multiparty coalition since its formation in October last year.

ActionSA President Herman Mashaba welcomed the adoption of the budget, adding that it is the first time ActionSA Executive Mayor, Dr Nasiphi Moya, and her coalition government will deliver services from a budget they crafted themselves.

According to Mashaba, the team, led by Moya and ANC Deputy Executive Mayor and MMC for Finance, Eugene Modise, has delivered the first fully funded budget in years.

He said this was particularly significant given that, less than a year ago, Tshwane was effectively bankrupt, burdened by R7 billion in Eskom debt and repeated qualified audit outcomes.

Mashaba added that the budget not only stabilises the City’s finances but also drives investment into communities that had long been overlooked, ensuring all residents see tangible service delivery improvements.

Key highlights of the 2025/26 budget include R740 million to support the rollout of Tshwane’s Economic Revitalisation Strategy, expected to create 80,000 new jobs by 2029 and attract R17 billion in investment.

A total of R1.4 billion has been allocated for upgrading water and electricity infrastructure, while R5.3 billion will go towards Emergency Services and the Tshwane Metro Police Department to enhance public safety.

The City has committed R2.9 billion in social security packages for its most vulnerable residents, and R304 million has been set aside to improve customer relations and service delivery.

The A Re Yeng public transport network will receive R522 million to ensure safe, affordable, and reliable transit, while R565 million has been allocated to protect municipal assets, particularly electricity infrastructure, from vandalism and sabotage.

During Thursday’s council meeting, the budget was approved alongside the introduction of a new city cleansing levy of R194 per month, targeted at properties using private waste collection services.

FModise stated that the funds raised through the levy would be directed toward revitalising Tshwane’s deteriorating landfill sites.

All new tariffs and rates will come into effect from 1 July.

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Delivering his State of the Nation Address (SONA) in Cape Town on Thursday, President Cyril Ramaphosa said government intends to review the funding model for municipalities as many of them do not have a viable and sustainable revenue base.

Ramaphosa said that in part this has happened because many municipalities lack the technical skills and resources required to meet people’s needs.

“Many municipalities have not reinvested the revenue they earn from these services into the upkeep of infrastructure,” Ramaphosa told MPs.  

He added that many of the challenges in municipalities arose from the design of the local government system. 

“Starting this year, we will work with our municipalities to establish professionally managed, ring-fenced utilities for water and electricity services to ensure that there is adequate investment and maintenance,” Ramaphosa said.

“We will therefore undertake extensive consultation to develop an updated White Paper on Local Government to outline a modern and fit-for-purpose local government system.”

The president said the government will also continue to work with traditional leaders in the implementation of local development programmes.

He also said the national government will expand its support to municipalities that require assistance, drawing on the lessons of the Presidential eThekwini Working Group. 

“We are seeing great progress in eThekwini as we implement the district development model, which enables all key role players as in government, business, labour and community-based organisations to work together,” he said.

The president has for some time been bemoaning the state of municipalities, highlighting a range of issues affecting them, including leadership problems, corruption, mismanagement of funds and revenue collection capacity and its lack thereof.

“Our local government has been beset by a number of problems, a variety of problems that have impacted on leadership,” he once bemoaned.

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Mogale City Local Municipality mayor Danny Thupane has resigned from his position just hours before a motion of no confidence could be tabled against him in a council meeting on Wednesday.

The municipality has been in political turmoil, which has had a devastating impact on service delivery to its residents.

In a public letter written by Thupane, which is circulating on social media and community groups, he says that after a meeting with members of his party, the African Transformation Movement, and the African National Congress, he has resigned with immediate effect.

The Freedom Front Plus’ Danie Toerien said in a statement that it was no secret that Thupane was “just a puppet of the ANC and EFF”.

“As the only councillor of the African Transformation Movement, he persuaded the ANC and EFF to elect him as mayor and in return, he agreed to dance to their tune.

“His dance moves obviously did not impress his masters, so, he threw in the towel before he could be knocked out,” he said.

The Mogale city council must now elect a new mayor, which is the third since the municipal elections in 2021.

Toerien said the resignation could also mean that all 10 MMCs would need to be replaced again.

“The PAC’s sole councillor brought the motion of no confidence against Thupane and one cannot help but wonder which party would have supported this motion,” he said.

A motion of no confidence was also brought against the council’s whip, Tsholofelo Ramaisa, but it was unsuccessful.

And a motion of no confidence against ANC speaker Lucky Sele was also not supported by the councillors.

“The constant change in political leadership undermines continuity on all levels, be it budgets, development plans or a vision for a better future,” Toerien said.

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In a defiant move, the Democratic Alliance (DA) has announced that Cilliers Brink will remain its mayoral candidate for Tshwane, despite the motion of no confidence that saw him removed from office on Thursday.

“We will not abandon the residents of Tshwane to the chaos caused by the ANC, enabled by ActionSA, and which is set to benefit the EFF,” DA Gauteng leader Solly Msimanga said on Friday.

The DA’s decision comes after Herman Mashaba’s ActionSA collaborated with the ANC to pass a motion of no confidence against Brink. 

However, Mashaba’s claims of a deal with the ANC to install Nasiphi Moya as mayor, were promptly contradicted by the ANC.

The DA has criticised the ANC’s actions, labelling he party as “irresponsible” and “chaotic.” 

“The constant changing of mayors, without regard to certainty and consistency in policy, is a cause of, not a cure for, deteriorating municipal governance and service delivery,” Msimanga said.

The party warned that the ANC’s actions would have severe consequences for Tshwane, including jeopardising the city’s financial recovery and undermining stability. 

The DA also expressed concern that professional senior managers might be victimised and removed from their positions.

Despite the uncertainty, the DA said it remained committed to serving Tshwane’s residents.

“We will continue to do everything in our power to stop this chaos from happening, but we are also prepared to serve Tshwane residents from the opposition benches,” Msimanga said.

The DA’s priorities include protecting professional senior managers, upholding accountability through disciplinary processes and ensuring the delivery of essential services. As the Tshwane mayoral saga unfolds, residents remain anxious about the future of their city. The DA’s stance has reinforced its commitment to good governance and stability, but the road ahead remains uncertain.

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A motion of no confidence against Tshwane mayor Cilliers Brink was successfully passed at the city’s council chambers in Pretoria on Thursday. 

The motion secured a significant majority, with 120 councillors supporting it, 87 opposing, and a single abstention, effectively ending Brink’s term as mayor.

Brink faced the vote sponsored by the African National Congress (ANC), amidst claims of deteriorating service delivery in the capital city.

Before the vote, the Democratic Alliance (DA) called on Tshwane councillors to reject the motion, urging them to “do the right thing” and protect the stability of the city’s government.

DA supporters gathered outside the chambers to demonstrate their support for the embattled mayor. 

The party’s Gauteng chairperson, Fred Nel, expressed concerns that removing Brink’s administration would destabilise Tshwane and compromise service delivery.

“It’s disappointing these parties are banding together to remove a government that is working, that is stable, that is starting to deliver services,” Nel said. 

He warned that a change in government could mirror the political instability experienced in Johannesburg.

The ANC, Economic Freedom Fighters and ActionSA have confirmed their support for the motion, collectively holding 55% of the council seats.

Speaking before the vote, Brink said he remained defiant, stating that his party was “in a fighting mood” and open to negotiations with the ANC.

“It’s very unfortunate the ANC has not withdrawn this motion. They can still do it, but the longer they take to do it, the less likely there is for a good outcome. My general feeling is one of concern for the city, but we are in a fighting mood,” Brink said. 

“We want to protect the gains we have made. We want to cut that ribbon on the Hammanskraal water project that gives people clean water in their taps.”

The DA has vowed to protect the interests of the people of Tshwane, even if it meant taking legal action to prevent the city from being “destroyed from within”.

The ANC Greater Tshwane Region said before that vote that its national structure had given the green light to proceed with the removal of the DA-led coalition in the city.

“I can confirm that we are going ahead with the motion of no confidence today. And the narrative that there is a defiance from within the ANC, the ANC would not tolerate such, it’s not designed to accommodate defiance from within,” said ANC Tshwane spokesperson Bafuze Yabo.

“So, the narrative there is a Panyaza Lesufi who has defied national and that is not true, the ANC has a structural way of dealing with matters. And structures that are higher than lower structures when they inform a decision they instruct, the decision is taken as that, we don’t argue about it.”

Earlier on, the ANC and other opposition parties said they had lost faith in Brink’s leadership, citing service delivery failures and other grievances.

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