No to the ANC Mangaung Draft Budget!
Support the DA PETITION TO AMEND MANGAUNG’S 2025/26 DRAFT BUDGET
We, the undersigned residents, and stakeholders of Mangaung, call on the Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality to urgently amend the 2025/26 Draft Budget to protect residents, support economic growth, and ensure sustainable service delivery.
The current draft budget places an increasing burden on a shrinking base of paying residents, fails to adequately prioritise infrastructure, and is not properly aligned with the City’s own development priorities.
At a time when residents are already under severe financial pressure, the Municipality cannot continue to increase costs without improving governance, financial management, and service delivery.
We therefore call for the following urgent amendments:
- Transparency and Audit of Property Valuations and Tariff Income
That the City commission an independent audit of the General Valuation Roll following the approximately 49% increase in residential property values, and provide full transparency on the methodology, data, and household-level impact of tariffs, combined with the increased valuations as well as the R50 basic charge proposed for electricity.
- Infrastructure Prioritisation
That the budget be amended to significantly increase funding for repairs, maintenance, and infrastructure renewal to meet accepted minimum standards, including prioritising the refurbishment and upgrading of existing infrastructure over new projects. If the proposed R50 basic charge is implemented it must be ringfenced for renewal of existing electricity infrastructure.
Trading services reforms and ringfencing of their incomes must be fast tracked to ensure sustainable provision of services.
- Alignment of IDP and Budget
That the Integrated Development Plan (IDP) be properly aligned with the budget, ensuring that stated priorities — particularly service delivery — are supported by funded, measurable programmes, including the reprioritisation of inefficient expenditure.
Roads, water supply, sewage purification, waste management and electricity supply must be secured and resilient.
- Meaningful Relief for Households
That property rates and the rebate structure be urgently reviewed, and that the proposed 5% tariff reduction be deepened by at least a further 10% or more to meaningfully offset the impact of increased property valuations and prevent unreasonable cost-of-living increases.
- Fair and Competitive Business Rates
That the ratio between business and residential property rates be aligned with the national norm of approximately 2.5 times residential rates, instead of the current 3.4 times, to support investment, economic activity, and job creation. This was part of the Financial Recovery Plan.
- Protection of Agricultural Properties
That the massively increased property rates burden on agricultural properties, resulting from multiple use category changes, be reviewed and either postponed, withdrawn, or phased in over a number of years to prevent undue financial strain.
- Sustainable Funding of Free Basic Services
That free basic services be properly targeted, verified, and sustainably funded, ensuring that the cost is not unfairly shifted onto a shrinking pool of compliant, paying residents.
If rates are affordable, revenue collection will improve.
- Improved Revenue Collection and Loss Reduction
That the City implement a credible, transparent plan to improve revenue collection and significantly reduce water and electricity losses, which are undermining financial sustainability.
It is crucial to ensure tariffs and rates are affordable to improve collection rates.
Why This Matters
Mangaung cannot recover by placing increasing pressure on a declining base of paying residents.
A sustainable budget must:
Protect residents
Fix governance failures
Prioritise infrastructure
Enable economic growth
Our Call to Action
We call on the Municipality to engage meaningfully with residents and incorporate these amendments before the final adoption of the 2025/26 Budget.
17654 needed to reach 20000
Support the DA PETITION TO AMEND MANGAUNG’S 2025/26 DRAFT BUDGET
We, the undersigned residents, and stakeholders of Mangaung, call on the Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality to urgently amend the 2025/26 Draft Budget to protect residents, support economic growth, and ensure sustainable service delivery.
The current draft budget places an increasing burden on a shrinking base of paying residents, fails to adequately prioritise infrastructure, and is not properly aligned with the City’s own development priorities.
At a time when residents are already under severe financial pressure, the Municipality cannot continue to increase costs without improving governance, financial management, and service delivery.
We therefore call for the following urgent amendments:
- Transparency and Audit of Property Valuations and Tariff Income
That the City commission an independent audit of the General Valuation Roll following the approximately 49% increase in residential property values, and provide full transparency on the methodology, data, and household-level impact of tariffs, combined with the increased valuations as well as the R50 basic charge proposed for electricity.
- Infrastructure Prioritisation
That the budget be amended to significantly increase funding for repairs, maintenance, and infrastructure renewal to meet accepted minimum standards, including prioritising the refurbishment and upgrading of existing infrastructure over new projects. If the proposed R50 basic charge is implemented it must be ringfenced for renewal of existing electricity infrastructure.
Trading services reforms and ringfencing of their incomes must be fast tracked to ensure sustainable provision of services.
- Alignment of IDP and Budget
That the Integrated Development Plan (IDP) be properly aligned with the budget, ensuring that stated priorities — particularly service delivery — are supported by funded, measurable programmes, including the reprioritisation of inefficient expenditure.
Roads, water supply, sewage purification, waste management and electricity supply must be secured and resilient.
- Meaningful Relief for Households
That property rates and the rebate structure be urgently reviewed, and that the proposed 5% tariff reduction be deepened by at least a further 10% or more to meaningfully offset the impact of increased property valuations and prevent unreasonable cost-of-living increases.
- Fair and Competitive Business Rates
That the ratio between business and residential property rates be aligned with the national norm of approximately 2.5 times residential rates, instead of the current 3.4 times, to support investment, economic activity, and job creation. This was part of the Financial Recovery Plan.
- Protection of Agricultural Properties
That the massively increased property rates burden on agricultural properties, resulting from multiple use category changes, be reviewed and either postponed, withdrawn, or phased in over a number of years to prevent undue financial strain.
- Sustainable Funding of Free Basic Services
That free basic services be properly targeted, verified, and sustainably funded, ensuring that the cost is not unfairly shifted onto a shrinking pool of compliant, paying residents.
If rates are affordable, revenue collection will improve.
- Improved Revenue Collection and Loss Reduction
That the City implement a credible, transparent plan to improve revenue collection and significantly reduce water and electricity losses, which are undermining financial sustainability.
It is crucial to ensure tariffs and rates are affordable to improve collection rates.
Why This Matters
Mangaung cannot recover by placing increasing pressure on a declining base of paying residents.
A sustainable budget must:
Protect residents
Fix governance failures
Prioritise infrastructure
Enable economic growth
Our Call to Action
We call on the Municipality to engage meaningfully with residents and incorporate these amendments before the final adoption of the 2025/26 Budget.