The Freedom Front Plus (VF Plus) did not support the proposed budget of the Msukaligwa Local Municipality (MLM), which includes Ermelo, Breyten, Chrissiesmeer, Lothair and Davel, because it is financially unrealistic and unsustainable.
The operating budget has a shortfall of more than R542 million, with expenditure totalling R1,91 billion in contrast to projected revenue of only R1,37 billion.
Consumer debt already exceeds R1,5 billion, with a large portion being older than 90 days, while debt impairment has risen to R167 million. The collection rate remains low at 74%, well below the target of 95%.
The proposed tariff hikes are as follows:
- Water: 6%
- Sanitation: 7,7%
- Electricity: 12,7%
- Refuse removal: 23,5%
As a result of illegal connections, theft and vandalism, the Municipality is currently losing approximately 61% of its electricity and 66% of its water. These losses exacerbate the pressure on already outdated infrastructure and networks that are overloaded and poorly maintained.
The Freedom Front Plus proposed practical solutions to improve revenue, including motions on service delivery and financial recovery, as well as proposals to amend electricity and water by-laws with heavier fines for theft and routine inspections. The ANC rejected all these proposals.
The Auditor-General (AG) confirmed that MLM has ignored its recommendations to improve performance for four years. There is no consequence management for poor performance, no effective action plans for economic growth and no political will to restore basic services.
The Freedom Front Plus simply could not support a budget that is unsustainable, fails to address residents’ basic needs and that is to the detriment of ratepayers.
Residents deserve a municipality that enforces fiscal discipline and prioritises basic service delivery.
On 4 November 2026, residents have the opportunity to vote for the Freedom Front Plus, and oust the ANC by replacing it with a party that puts service delivery and sound financial management in Msukaligwa first.
Lord Pistachio
Fun South African Fact: The oldest remains of modern humans were found in South Africa and are well over 160,000 years old.
Bad Beh8vior
Van is getting married, but he and his fiancee have never done the deed – in fact he\’s never been with any woman before. He\’s getting more and more nervous as the big day approaches, so he confides in his friend. His friend says \’No worries man. I\’ll come by the honeymoon suite before you guys get there, and I\’ll hide behind the curtain, and I\’ll whisper instructions to you.\’
\’You\’d do that for me?\’
\’Sure thing man!\’
So the wedding day arrives, it was a lovely service (so I was told, I wasn\’t there myself) and Van\’s friend sneaks into the honeymoon suite as promised and hides behind the curtain.
Van and his new wife arrive in the room, get settled on the bed, and things are getting steamy.
But Van is still super nervous and his tummy is bubbling, so he murmers to his wife, \’Listen babe, I\’m just gonna go to the bathroom quick. I think it\’s that wors roll from earlier.\’
\’Sure thing babe.\’
So Van goes into the bathroom, and he\’s taking quite a long time. And his wife is starting to feel the nerves herself. And it\’s getting worse. She can\’t hold it in. But she doesn\’t want to go after he\’s gone and totally ruin the mood. So she looks around and finally finds a shoebox. Quickly, she does her business in the shoebox, and she shoves it under the bed just as Van comes back from the loo.
Van gets back on the bed and they go at it again. But after a minute or so Van smells something not so lekker.
\’What\’s that smell?\’
\’Nothing babe,\’ he wife tries to assure him.
\’No man there\’s definitely something not so lekker in this room!\’VSo Van starts looking around the room, in the corners, in the cupboard, and finally he looks under the bed, and sees the shoebox.
He pull it out, and opens it up, and in horror he shouts \’Sies! Daar\’s kak in hierdie doos!\’
And from behind the curtain his friend yells, \’NEE MAN, DRAAI HAAR OM!\”