City in death spiral – but it wants more

The summation is accurate, but shocking because of the person saying it, Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana: The City of Joburg is bankrupt, unable to pay billions in debt. Even as the minister wasthreatening to cut central government supportto this criminally mismanaged entity, it was desperately looking for ways to squeeze even more blood out of the ratepayer stone. The city proposed a 65.6% increase for the water demand management levy charged to households each month from 1 July.

Currently, domestic users pay R65.08 (excluding VAT) monthly before they open a tap, regardless of whether they are on conventional (postpaid) meters or prepaid ones. In its proposed tariffs for the 2026-27 financial year, it wants to increase this to R107.74 per month. This proposal comes, let us not forget, when the city turns both blind eyes to the fact it is getting stolen blind itself by those taking electricity and water illegally.

A few sound bite terminations for the cameras here and there, but thousands of thieves continue with their illegal connections – safe in the knowledge, perhaps, that the ANC’s populists in the council won’t do anything for fear of losing votes. That, in reality, is using your residents’ money for political ends.