DA rejects Mogale’s budget: people need relief not rates increases

Issued by Ald Tyrone Gray – DA Mogale City Caucus Leader
11 Jun 2025 in Press Statements

Note to Editors: Please find an English soundbite by Ald Tyrone Gray here

The Democratic Alliance in Mogale City rejects, and has subsequently voted against the municipal budget during yesterday’s, 10 June 2025, Council sitting.

The budget passed, thanks to assistance from the ANC and EFF and other parties in council who have decided to place comfort above residents’ needs.

The budget that was proposed yesterday was yet another example of just how out of touch the current ANC/EFF coalition is with what Mogale’s residents need. For example, Mogale’s residents do not need an increase of 15.3% on their water prices, nor do they need the unaffordable IBT electricity structure.

What they need is relief. Relief the executive can very easily bring them, whilst still keeping the status of a Funded Budget. The DA’s proposals were, and remain simple in nature, but they requite political will to be implemented, something the executive in Mogale does not have.

The DA proposes, amongst other things, that Mogale provides the following measures of relief for the people of Mogale City:

  1. Reduce the water tariff increase from 15.3% to 6%, by subsidising the cost of water provision. Mogale’s budget would still be funded, and allow for a healthy surplus of R378 million;
  2. 7-day grace period on all municipal accounts before starting with credit control measures;
  3. 100% Property tax rebate for all property owners over 70 years old;
  4. No surcharge on electrical connections for both prepaid and postpaid clients, to ensure fairness; and importantly
  5. Cost containment on ‘nice-to-haves’. This includes luxury vehicles, catering, refreshments, travel and an end to other non-service delivery core expenditure. Politicians get paid to work, not to eat.

These proposals were met with an expected amount of disdain, that is not surprising, but incredibly disappointing. Mogale’s executive has no idea what people need, but rather, have constructed a budget that protects their own needs. The DA rejects this budget with the disdain it deserves. In the next local government elections vote DA for better budgeting.