The Freedom Front Plus (VF Plus) did not support the Drakenstein Local Municipality’s budget for the 2026/27 financial year, as the funds are simply not being directed towards addressing residents’ most pressing needs.
Despite a total budget of R4,5 billion (of which R3,9 billion is earmarked for operating expenditure and only R569 million for capital projects), critical services are neglected as money is squandered on misguided priorities.
Almost no funds are set aside for urgently replacing old water and storm water pipelines. Only R6 million has been budgeted for sewer line improvements and R6 million for storm water system repairs — amounts that are totally insufficient for a municipality of this size. Similarly, only R18,3 million has been budgeted for resurfacing roads even though the roads are in a terrible condition.
The Freedom Front Plus has been warning for more than five years that the Municipality is approving too many new residential developments without upgrading existing infrastructure. The old pipes and roads simply cannot accommodate the increasing pressure of more residents and traffic.
Pipes bursting is a daily occurrence usually addressed with temporary repairs, so, the same problem recurs soon after. Roads are in a terrible state and are merely superficially patched, lasting at most a few weeks. The budget makes virtually no provision for proper road repairs.
The Municipality boasts that new developments will offer major financial benefits, but the Freedom Front Plus still has not seen any evidence of this. Instead, the burden on taxpayers keeps mounting as tariffs are increased.
Ratepayers who pay faithfully are offered no relief, while the indigent grant has been increased above the average level and debts are easily written off without targeted efforts to collect the funds.
There is a large debt burden (loans) that needs to be repaid in 2035. Despite repeated requests, the exact loan amount still has not been disclosed to the Freedom Front Plus. This lack of transparency is unacceptable.
The DA-controlled Municipality likes to claim that Drakenstein is one of the best-governed municipalities in the province. However, it lacks a clear turnaround plan for the CBD. Shops are losing customers due to the number of homeless sleeping on the streets and harassing them. There are not enough law enforcement and traffic officers to make a meaningful difference.
Many buildings are being rented out to foreigners who do very little to ensure a clean and safe environment. Meanwhile, informal settlements are growing rapidly due to uncontrolled migration, with neither local nor provincial government doing anything to try and manage the situation.
The Freedom Front Plus, furthermore, voted against the ward fund allocations, because the process is untransparent and politically motivated. One third (R1,8 million) of the total available funds (R7,9 million) is going to just one non-governmental organisation (NGO), while many other organisations are left waiting for funding. There are also several “ghost allocations” where the organisation’s name is not specified.
Proper needs assessments for wards were not conducted. In fact, it appears to be more of an “eat and drink” party than sustainable projects aimed at improving residents’ lives.
The Freedom Front Plus cannot endorse a budget that fails to address the right priorities. The people deserve transparent governance, proper infrastructure maintenance and a safe, clean living environment.
On 4 November, residents have the opportunity to vote for the Freedom Front Plus, which stands up for their needs and interests in the Drakenstein Council.
