2026 Overall IDP and Budget – City of Tshwane

1. INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT AND SERVICE DELIVERY ACCELERATION

The City aims to enhance electricity supply and reliability through its Electricity Turnaround Strategy, focusing on reducing losses, combating theft, investing in infrastructure, and exploring partnerships for local power generation. Significant investments in substations and maintenance of street lighting are planned, while addressing illegal connections and rolling out prepaid meters are prioritised to decrease losses. The targeted increase in household electricity access from 85.13% to 87.7% by 2026/27 is deemed insufficient by SAPOA, which also questions the minimal improvement in electricity loss targets. For water and sanitation, initiatives include upgrading wastewater treatment facilities, reducing leaks, and improving compliance with standards. However, targets for non-revenue water and wastewater compliance are criticised for their lack of impact. SAPOA calls for enhanced private sector involvement to improve the municipal water infrastructure. The City’s transport strategy focuses on addressing maintenance backlogs and enhancing the Tshwane Bus Service, but faces criticism for a low target of only 10 km of new road and drainage construction, indicating possible funding issues. Lastly, informal settlement upgrades are planned, with over 200 settlements identified, but concerns arise regarding the capacity to deliver meaningful improvements effectively and urgently.

2. ECONOMIC REVITALISATION AND INVESTMENT ATTRACTION

It seeks to improve the business climate by minimising bureaucracy, freeing municipal land for development, and expanding Special Economic Zones to boost investment and job creation. Additionally, the City intends to revitalise the CBD, support informal traders, and improve public spaces to foster tourism and economic activity. While SAPOA views the strategy as well-focused on essential assets, its success hinges on addressing infrastructure issues such as unreliable electricity, inadequate roads, and deficient water and sanitation systems, which hinder investment attraction.

3. SAFE AND CLEAN CITY

This initiative aims to enhance inner-city safety through expanded TMPD patrols, surveillance systems, strengthened by-law enforcement, and police garrisons. Key efforts include improving waste management, maintaining public spaces, and reclaiming hijacked buildings. The 2026/27 plan emphasises public confidence in policing, resource allocation and stronger community involvement. Priorities involve tackling infrastructure crime, enhancing by-law policing, and addressing substance abuse, supported by partnerships with SAPS and other stakeholders. A focus on community participation and social crime prevention is essential for long-term safety. However, the success of these initiatives relies on effective implementation, rapid response and improved safety perceptions.

4. CATALYTIC PROJECTS

Concerns are raised regarding catalytic projects in the IDP due to unclear start dates and many being at the feasibility stage, which hampers their credibility and assessment of impact. There is a pressing need for defined timelines, implementation readiness, and prioritisation to facilitate the transition from planning to actual delivery.

1. SUMMARY OF MAJOR TARIFFS

Water +10%, electricity +8.76-9.01%, sewer +5%, refuse +4.1%; property rates +5 %. Water and electricity hikes are triple inflation, burdening lower‑income households already pressured by Rand Water and Eskom pass‑through costs.

SAPOA notes the risk of reduced payment compliance and urges phased increases or targeted relief for vulnerable users.

2. FINANCIAL STABILITY AND REVENUE PROTECTION

The R1.7 billion allocation for finance charges reflects strain on the City’s finances, efforts to reduce reliance on contracted services are undermined by a 21% cut in machinery and equipment investment. Additionally, the R264.1 million for water tankers indicates dependence on temporary solutions, with insufficient investment in water purification infrastructure pointing to a short-term focus. While revenue management aims to enhance collection rates as per National Treasury guidelines, current targets (84% for water and sanitation, 93% for electricity, and 82% for property rates) are low and should be strengthened to safeguard financial stability and infrastructure investment.

3. EXPENDITURE AND REVENUE MANAGEMENT

The City should enhance transparency by regularly reporting unauthorised and wasteful expenditures to restore public trust. The reported R1.4 billion surplus requires scrutiny for alignment with budgeting assumptions and should be traceable to actual funds, ensuring proper allocation to capital projects. Recommendations include improving financial reporting, reviewing surplus validity and strengthening oversight mechanisms to reduce financial leakages.