VF Plus - Oos-Kaap / Eastern Cape

02/06/2026

✅ Munisipaliteite moet net een dorp bedien. Groot munisipaliteite bevoordeel slegs ’n klein elite van raadslede.

vir kleiner, maar effektiewe munisipaliteite. Registreer op 20 en 21 Junie om vir die VF Plus te kan stem!

✅ Municipalities should each serve only one town. Large municipalities only benefit a small elite of council members.

for smaller, but effective municipalities. Register on June 20 and 21 to vote for the VF Plus!

01/06/2026

01/06/2026

Die begrotingsproses van die Nelson Mandelabaai-metro (NMBM) vir die 2026/27-finansiële jaar het ontaard in ’n klugspel van wanbestuur en chaos wat

01/06/2026

VF Plus councillor Bill Harington said in a statement that Council was due to meet on Thursday to discuss the draft Integrated Development Plan (IDP) as well as the operating and capital budgets.

However, he said the vast majority of the 120 councillors did not receive the relevant agenda or support documentation in time.
Harington said eventually, a special hybrid meeting was announced for 29 May, with the promise that all documentation would be made available beforehand.

“However, when the meeting was convened, councillors still did not have access to an agenda or any budget-related documentation.
“Despite this, Mayor Babalwa Lobishe recommended that the IDP and other documents should simply be adopted or noted.

“This meant councillors were expected to take decisions on billions of rand in public funds without any preparation or proper democratic oversight,” Harrington added.

He said the Municipal Finance Management Act (MFMA) clearly stipulates that a budget must be tabled at least 90 days before the new financial year and considered at least 30 days before 1 July.

“Failure to comply with these stipulations would allow the provincial government to intervene in terms of section 139 of the Constitution,” he added.

https://www.algoafm.co.za/local/nmb-approves-budget-for-new-financial-year

01/06/2026

𝗩𝗙 𝗣𝗟𝗨𝗦 𝗥𝗘𝗝𝗘𝗖𝗧𝗦 𝗙𝗨𝗥𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗥 𝗧𝗔𝗥𝗜𝗙𝗙 𝗜𝗡𝗖𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗦𝗘𝗦 𝗔𝗠𝗜𝗗 𝗡𝗠𝗕𝗠'𝗦 𝗦𝗘𝗥𝗩𝗜𝗖𝗘 𝗗𝗘𝗟𝗜𝗩𝗘𝗥𝗬 𝗖𝗥𝗜𝗦𝗜𝗦
(📌 Scroll down for Afrikaans)
The VF Plus notes with serious concern the proposed tariff increases in the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro at a time when residents are already facing significant financial pressure.
According to the proposed budget, residents will be confronted with an average electricity tariff increase of 10.95% (subject to NERSA approval), water tariff increases of 6.5%, sanitation increases of 6.5%, refuse removal increases of 6.5%, and property rates increases of 5.5%.
The VF Plus does not support these increases.
It is unacceptable that residents are being asked to pay more while the Metro, under the political leadership of the ANC and EFF, continues to fail in delivering basic services consistently and reliably.
Large parts of Nelson Mandela Bay are regularly affected by water outages, deteriorating infrastructure, poor road conditions, recurring sewage spills, and inadequate maintenance of essential public assets.
Residents are expected to pay more while receiving less.
Many communities across the Metro are forced to endure frequent disruptions to water supply, unreliable infrastructure, and a lack of maintenance that has become the norm rather than the exception.
Businesses, households, pensioners, and working families are bearing the financial burden of a municipality that continues to struggle with service delivery.
What makes these proposed increases even more concerning is the chaos that has surrounded the budget process itself.
Residents of Nelson Mandela Bay deserve a professional, transparent, and accountable budgeting process.
When one of the most important decisions affecting the future of the Metro is handled amid confusion and procedural concerns, it raises serious questions about the municipality's ability to manage its finances responsibly.
The VF Plus has consistently argued that the solution to the Metro's financial challenges is not to continuously increase tariffs.
The focus should instead be on sound financial management, appointing competent officials, combating corruption, reducing wasteful expenditure, maintaining infrastructure, and improving operational efficiency.
Residents cannot be expected to continually pay the price for years of poor governance and failed leadership.
Before asking ratepayers for more money, the ANC-EFF administration must first demonstrate its ability to provide reliable services and manage public funds responsibly.
The VF Plus will continue to hold the ANC-EFF coalition accountable and fight for a Metro that delivers value for money, prioritises service delivery, and places the interests of residents first.
It is our time, as taxpayers and ratepayers, to be taken seriously, and residents should show that on the 4th of November. Nelson Mandela Bay residents deserve better.
Cllr. Bill Harington - VF Plus - Nelson Mandela Bay Metro
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📌📌 𝗩𝗙 𝗣𝗟𝗨𝗦 𝗩𝗘𝗥𝗪𝗘𝗥𝗣 𝗩𝗘𝗥𝗗𝗘𝗥𝗘 𝗧𝗔𝗥𝗜𝗘𝗙𝗩𝗘𝗥𝗛𝗢𝗚𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗦 𝗧𝗘 𝗠𝗜𝗗𝗗𝗘 𝗩𝗔𝗡 𝗡𝗠𝗕𝗠 𝗦𝗘 𝗗𝗜𝗘𝗡𝗦𝗟𝗘𝗪𝗘𝗥𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗦𝗞𝗥𝗜𝗦𝗜𝗦
Die VF Plus neem met ernstige kommer kennis van die voorgestelde tariefverhogings in die Nelson Mandela Baai-metro op ’n tydstip wanneer inwoners reeds onder aansienlike finansiële druk verkeer.
Volgens die voorgestelde begroting sal inwoners gekonfronteer word met ’n gemiddelde elektrisiteitstariefverhoging van 10,95% (onderhewig aan NERSA-goedkeuring), waterverhogings van 6,5%, sanitasieverhogings van 6,5%, vullisverwydering van 6,5% en eiendomsbelastingverhogings van 5,5%. Die VF Plus ondersteun nie hierdie verhogings nie.
Dit is onaanvaarbaar dat inwoners gevra word om meer te betaal terwyl die Metro, onder die politieke leierskap van die ANC en EFF, voortgaan om basiese dienste nie konsekwent en betroubaar te lewer nie.
Groot dele van Nelson Mandela Baai word gereeld geraak deur wateronderbrekings, agteruitgaande infrastruktuur, swak padtoestande, herhalende rioolstortings en onvoldoende instandhouding van noodsaaklike openbare bates.
Inwoners word verwag om meer te betaal terwyl hulle minder ontvang.
Baie gemeenskappe regoor die Metro word gedwing om gereelde onderbrekings in watervoorsiening, onbetroubare infrastruktuur en ’n gebrek aan instandhouding te verduur wat die norm eerder as die uitsondering geword het.
Besighede, huishoudings, pensioenarisse en werkende gesinne dra die finansiële las van ’n munisipaliteit wat voortgaan om met dienslewering te sukkel.
Wat hierdie voorgestelde verhogings selfs meer kommerwekkend maak, is die chaos wat die begrotingsproses self omring het.
Inwoners van Nelson Mandela Baai verdien ’n professionele, deursigtige en verantwoordbare begrotingsproses.
Wanneer een van die belangrikste besluite wat die toekoms van die Metro raak te midde van verwarring en prosedurele kommer hanteer word, wek dit ernstige vrae oor die munisipaliteit se vermoë om sy finansies verantwoordelik te bestuur.
Die VF Plus voer konsekwent aan dat die oplossing vir die Metro se finansiële uitdagings nie is om voortdurend tariewe te verhoog nie.
Die fokus moet eerder wees op gesonde finansiële bestuur, die aanstelling van bevoegde amptenare, die bekamping van korrupsie, die vermindering van verkwistende uitgawes, die instandhouding van infrastruktuur en die verbetering van operasionele doeltreffendheid.
Inwoners kan nie verwag word om voortdurend die prys te betaal vir jare se swak bestuur en mislukte leierskap nie.
Voordat daar meer geld van belastingbetalers gevra word, moet die ANC-EFF administrasie eers bewys dat hulle betroubare dienste kan lewer en openbare fondse verantwoordelik kan bestuur.
Die VF Plus sal voortgaan om die ANC-EFF koalisie aanspreeklik te hou en te veg vir ’n Metro wat waarde vir geld lewer, dienslewering prioritiseer en die belange van inwoners eerste plaas.
Dit is ons tyd, as belasting- en tariefbetalers, om ernstig opgeneem te word, en inwoners moet dit op 4 November wys. Inwoners van Nelson Mandela Baai verdien beter.
Raadslid Bill Harington - VF Plus - Nelson Mandela Baai Metro