ANDILE MOSHOESHOE

FOUR municipalities in the Harry Gwala district presented more than a billion rand 2025/2026 financial year budget.

This comes after open council meetings held in various areas of the district to familiarise communities about proceedings of the council and to bring light as to how money is being spent.

This is despite a controversial rate hike issue, which seemed to be a challenge at some open council meetings but was addressed accordingly with no hidden agenda.

Approximately in all municipalities, a huge chunk of their budget was mainly injected in infrastructural programmes and those intended to better the lives of the communities.

Harry Gwala District Municipality has tabled R992 million at eMfundweni rural village in Umzimkhulu on Wednesday with their R296 million Capital Budget in a population of 510 865 in the entire district.

Harry Gwala District Municipality’s responsibility is water and sanitation, unlike local municipalities that are responsible for service delivery matters including job creation. 

Harry Gwala District Municipality Mayor Zamo Nxumalo said: “It is a great honour and privilege for me to present the final budget for the 2025/2026 financial year a budget crafted not in isolation but through ongoing engagement, reflection and commitment to the values of service, integrity and development as well as the accounting policies, the IDP and other related strategic documents such as SDBIP and the by-laws.” 

 The municipality has further allocation of R239 million from Municipal Infrastructure Grant and also prioritised over 15% R37.6 million of it towards addressing the challenges of aging infrastructure through operations and maintenance as well as asset management. The R41, 4 million has been made available through internal funding to maintain the existing water and sanitation schemes across the district.

At the same time, Greater Kokstad Municipality’s budget has slightly increased from the previous one as it is more than R600 million.

Municipality Mayor Lwanda Madikizela said hence they are facing a challenge of job scarcity. They will be investing more on developing youth skills and start programmes that will go as far as educating them with driving lessons in order to obtain a driver’s license since it is one major requirement when applying for jobs.

He added they are also looking at fighting crime and ensuring that they fix street lights as some areas are experiencing darkness. 

The Johannes Pass Four Phungula Municipality, previously known as uBuhlebezwe has also tabled R379 100 000 total budget as well as the Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma Local Municipality successfully tabling R365 586 746 wherein a huge chunk is invested on infrastructure.

The Umzimkhulu Local Municipality also tabled its 2025/2026 financial year budget totalling to R464 928 505.