Call for Transparency and Fairness in Cape Town’s Amended 2026/27 Budget

GOOD Statement by Sandra Dickson, GOOD City of Cape Town Councillor:

The GOOD Party has submitted comments to the City of Cape Town on the amended 2026/27 Budget, raising serious concerns about transparency, fairness and the ability of residents to properly comment on the revised proposals.

While the City was forced to amend parts of the Budget after the High Court set aside the property-value-linked fixed charges, the amended documents still do not give residents a clear enough picture of the full impact on their monthly municipal bills.

GOOD’s comments raise the following key issues:

First, the City has not published a full, clear revised Budget. Instead, residents were given amended annexures, making it difficult to see how changes affect total revenue, property rates, fixed charges and monthly accounts.

Second, the City has returned the city-wide cleaning charge back into property rates. This means residents are still paying extra for the function that was previously included in their rates and tariffs, but only included as another item on their bill.

Third, the City has reduced commercial electricity revenue by about R200 million, while property rates revenue has increased. GOOD has asked the City to explain whether this creates a hidden shift from commercial electricity users onto ratepayers.

Fourth, the property rates adjustment must be understood together with the GV2025 property valuation increase. The City’s reduction in the rate-in-the-rand does not fully neutralise the impact of increased property values for many households.

Fifth, GOOD is concerned that pensioners, lower-income households and residents on the edge of affordability are still not adequately protected, especially where fixed charges and rates increases combine on one municipal account.

GOOD has recommended that the City publish a full revised Budget, provide clear household impact tables, disclose all revenue shifts, and explain exactly how residents will be affected before final approval.

Public participation cannot be meaningful if residents are expected to comment without being able to see the full financial effect of the changes.

GOOD will continue to push for a Budget that is transparent, lawful and fair to Cape Town residents.

GOOD Vision for the Future: GOOD envisions a South Africa where all citizens can thrive and live in harmony.

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