ETHEKWINI NEWSFLASH
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MAYOR XABA ENGAGES RATEPAYERS MOVEMENT ON CITY BUDGET
EThekwini Mayor Councillor Cyril Xaba today convened a meeting with the leadership of eThekwini Ratepayers Protest Movement (ERPM) to address concerns raised by ratepayers and other civic bodies regarding the R74.7 billion 2026/27 Draft Budget.
The meeting forms part of Mayor Xaba’s ongoing efforts to solicit input from key stakeholders ahead of the tabling of the final budget at the end of May.
Among the issues raised by the ERPM was the reduction of non-revenue water, tariff increases, and revenue enhancement strategies.
Mayor Xaba welcomed some of the proposals, noting that they align with the City’s Water and Sanitation Turnaround Strategy, which forms part of the broader trading services reforms currently being implemented by the Municipality.
Regarding tariff increases, the Mayor has written to the Minister of Electricity, as well as the Minister Water and Sanitation, requesting Eskom and Umngeni-uThukela Water to reconsider their proposed tariffs for the 2026/27 financial year, as they are unaffordable.
The Mayor reaffirmed his commitment to working with all stakeholders to find common ground as the City seeks to deliver a budget that responds to the challenges facing communities and provides relief to the people of eThekwini.
“As the leadership of the City, we want to assure the residents of eThekwini that we are constantly exploring ways to make the budget work for them,” added Mayor Xaba.
ENDS
Issued by eThekwini Municipality’s Marketing and Communications Directorate
