If the eThekwini Municipality’s council failed to pass the 2026/27 budget by the start of the July 2026 financial year, it would have had severe repercussions for service delivery.
This was one of the reasons the leader of the Truly Alliance (TA) in eThekwini, Councillor Aslam Shaheed, gave at council on Friday when he voted for the R75.3 billion budget and tariff increases.
Since then, Shaheed, who holds one Proportional Representative seat on the council, has been under fire on social media from political opponents in the municipality.
The tariff increases include electricity (9%), property rates (2%), water (domestic 12% and business 13%), sanitation (8% for domestic and 9% for business), and domestic refuse (9.5%) from July 1, 2026.
Shaheed, speaking at council, said councillors cannot ignore the reality that thousands of renters and ratepayers rely on municipal services funded by the budget. He said that voting down the budget was a vote for municipal bankruptcy and constitutional collapse.
“If this council fails to pass a budget by the start of the financial year, the National Treasury will freeze our equitable share. We will face immediate provincial intervention. The council could be dissolved, administrators will take over, and all capital projects — including emergency plumbing, housing, and electricity repairs — will grind to a halt,” Shaheed stated.
He said this was a budget of substance designed to restore the city, including improving the water infrastructure. He said he did not want cheap politicking to hold residents ransom.
“What do we see from opposition parties? Utter political opportunism because it’s an election year. Don’t fool your voters. Don’t mislead them; inform them what happens when you don’t vote for a budget. The loose coalition of obstructionists is playing a dangerous game. They want to vote down this budget. They claim they are protecting the citizens, but their stance is nothing short of reckless,” he told councillors.
Shaheed said the budget controls every single entity that deals with running a metro, including the safety and security, and fire and emergency services.
Mohamed Tariq, a Proportional Representative (PR) councillor in eThekwini and president of the People’s Freedom Party (PFP), opposed the hikes but approved the budget overall “as a responsibility to the people of eThekwini”.
“The PFP takes ownership of the impact of this. Our job is to keep the municipality functioning while protecting residents from unbearable costs and delayed services. Rejecting the budget collapses the city and halts service delivery. Our challenge to the municipality is to cut wasteful expenditure and prove to residents that eThekwini leads with compassion,” Tariq said.
Also outlining their parties’ stance on the budget vote were the IFP and ANC in eThekwini.
Zama Sokhabase, ANC councillor in eThekwini and chairperson of the Community Services Committee (CSC), said the budget supports economic recovery and provides social development interventions to address social issues consistently raised by communities.
“Provision has been made for the upgrading and improvement of several community halls, sports amenities, and swimming pools. The budget also provides funding for investigations into the purchase of additional land for cemeteries, in response to growing demand and long-term planning needs,” she said.
Councillor Mdu Nkosi, IFP eThekwini metro chairperson, said his decision to support the budget was not on political expediency, but on what is in the best long-term interests of the people of eThekwini.
“The reality is that a municipality cannot provide services without a legally approved and funded budget. Water must continue to flow, electricity networks must be maintained, refuse must be collected, roads must be repaired, and emergency services must remain operational.”
He said support for the budget was a vote for stability, continuity of services, and the protection of residents from a potentially damaging governance crisis.
“We also acknowledge the concerns regarding tariff increases. However, these increases must be viewed within the broader financial realities facing the municipality. eThekwini purchases electricity from Eskom and water from uMngeni-uThukela Water. Both of which have increased their charges above inflation,” Nkosi explained.
He added that the municipality is also confronted with ageing infrastructure, significant maintenance backlogs, and the need to invest in service delivery improvements following years of underinvestment and infrastructure challenges.
“Our support for the budget does not mean unconditional support for the administration. The IFP will continue to hold the administration accountable for implementing this budget,” he added.
zainul.dawood@inl.co.za
