The Freedom Front Plus (VF Plus) simply cannot support the draft budget for 2026/27, with its accompanying tariff increases, of the Maruleng Local Municipality (Hoedspruit, Kampersrus, Ofcolaco).
Residents will find themselves under greater financial pressure with an average increase of 3,7%, while administrative costs and certain capital expenditure will shoot up simultaneously.
Key objections include:
• Administrative costs: The amount budgeted for community committees increases from R4,3 million to R7,6 million.
• Infrastructure projects: The amount earmarked for fencing cemeteries increases from R388 000 to R2 million, and the amount for the Thusang Service Centre’s fencing from R200 000 to R1,5 million.
• Equipment and technology: Office equipment is adjusted upward from R500 000 to R1,4 million, IT equipment from R100 000 to R1 million, and there is an ongoing allocation of R2,5 million for network upgrades.
• Other priorities: R1 million is earmarked for upgrading a building belonging to the non-governmental organisation Kruger 2 Canyon.
Together, these items amount to a considerable increase of more than R6,4 million from approximately R4,6 million in the previous budget to more than R11 million in the current draft budget.
While administrative and certain support expenditure rises significantly, basic service delivery (water, roads, sanitation and electricity) in a rural municipality such as Maruleng remains under severe pressure.
The draft budget fails to strike a balance between administrative costs and improving direct service delivery to residents.
The party will keep acting as watchdog, demanding that municipal budgets prioritise core services and infrastructure, which serve to improve residents’ daily lives, rather than needless administrative expansion.
