By the eThekwini Residents & Ratepayers Association (ERRA)

🏘️ We, the residents of eThekwini, support inclusive development, but we reject unjustified tariff increases.

We are proud to live in a municipality that is taking steps in the right direction. The 2025/26 Draft Budget and Integrated Development Plan (IDP) include many important Community-Based Planning (CBP) priorities that we applaud:

• The rehabilitation of roads and upgrades of gravel infrastructure in previously underserved areas
• Expansion of clinics, youth centres, libraries, and multipurpose community halls
• Electrification and sanitation initiatives in informal settlements
• Support for job creation through cooperatives, EPWP programmes, and community contractors
• Empowerment of youth and skills development through training centres
• The installation of new streetlights, transformers, and safer pedestrian access in high-risk zones

These are the kinds of investments that help make eThekwini a truly caring and liveable city.

However, these gains are being overshadowed by the proposed tariff hikes, which place an unsustainable burden on already struggling households.

We see a vision for a more liveable city, and we want to work with our leaders to make it a reality. But these strides forward cannot come at the cost of basic affordability.

🚫 WE OPPOSE THE FOLLOWING TARIFF INCREASES:

• Electricity - 12.72%
• Water (Domestic) - 15%
• Sanitation - 13%
• Refuse Removal - 9.9%
• Rates (Average) - 6.5%

✅ WE PROPOSE...

• Electricity - 9.5%
• Water (Domestic) - 8.5%
• Sanitation - 9%
• Refuse Removal - 6.5%
• Rates (Average) - 5%

These increases are far above inflation, and far beyond what most families can afford, especially in a city where unemployment is high, service delivery is inconsistent, and municipal communication is weak.

⚠️ WE ASK:

• Why should we pay more for electricity and water when outages and leaks are still a daily reality?
• Why raise sanitation and refuse tariffs when many informal areas still rely on community ablution blocks and irregular waste collection?
• Why increase property rates when title deeds remain unresolved and service value is not aligned with cost?

Municipal mismanagement, ageing infrastructure, and inefficient billing should not be offset by shifting the financial burden onto residents, especially not those in working-class and pensioner households, who are already under pressure.

🛠️ OUR DEMANDS:

• Put a moratorium on tariff increases until measurable service delivery improvements are seen at the ward level.
• Expand the indigent support program to automatically include pensioners, disabled residents, and child-headed households.
• Publicly audit infrastructure repair and maintenance efforts to ensure funds are not lost to inefficiency or corruption.
• Strengthen ward-level budgeting and oversight by including civil society, youth desks, and ratepayers' associations in decision-making.
• Adopt a pro-poor, performance-based budgeting approach, where funding follows impact, not inflated estimates.
• Transparent ward-level performance reports linked to budget allocations.

🤝 RRAs: THE FUTURE OF COMMUNITY GOVERNANCE

We believe that Residents and Ratepayer Associations are the future of community-based governance. These associations are rooted in the needs of the people and are best positioned to identify gaps, propose solutions, and mobilise resources at a grassroots level.

We call on all associations, from Umkomaas to Pinetown, Phoenix to Toti, to stand together, speak with one voice, and demand a people-focused budget.

We are setting a goal: 20,000 signatures. We reached 14,500 last year; this year, we push further.

✅ WE SUPPORT THE CITY’S DEVELOPMENT GOALS — BUT NOT AT ANY COST

We commit to being partners in development, not passive observers. We want to work with our Municipality to build sustainable, dignified, and equitable communities.

But we will also continue to hold leadership accountable, demand transparency, and ensure that no one is left behind.

✊ TOGETHER, WE SAY:

📢 “We reject unfair tariff increases.”

📢 “We will not pay more for less.”

📢 “We demand people-first governance and transparent budgeting.”

📢 “We are not your revenue - we are your residents.”

🖊️ SIGN THE FREE PETITION AND SHARE WITH NEIGHBOURS, FRIENDS, AND ASSOCIATIONS ACROSS ETHEKWINI.

(Keyuren Maharaj, ERRA PRO, Glenwood Ratepayers Association Chairman)