The Emfuleni Local Municipality (Evaton, Sebokeng, Vaal Oewer, Vanderbijlpark, Vereeniging) has adopted an unfunded budget for the ninth consecutive year.
Although the Freedom Front Plus (VF Plus) did not support the budget for the 2026/27 financial year, the ruling ANC/EFF coalition steamrolled it through.
In terms of Section 18 of the Municipal Finance Management Act (MFMA), a municipality is not permitted to adopt an unfunded budget, but the Council took advantage of regulatory relaxations during, and directly after, the COVID-19 pandemic to evade accountability.
For the past three years, Emfuleni has relied on a concession from the National Treasury allowing the adoption of an unfunded budget on condition that it is accompanied by a funding plan and turnaround strategy, but only for a period of three years.
The Freedom Front Plus is utterly opposed to this approach, seeing as Emfuleni has proven that it is not turning around its precarious financial position, but is allowing it to deteriorate further.
The Municipality’s finances could not be turned around under the leadership of the former Mayoral Committee Member for Finance, Hassan Mako. And now that Mako has been elected Mayor during Wednesday’s council meeting, on 10 June 2026, the Freedom Front Plus expects things to go from bad to worse.
In addition, the property valuation roll was also adopted despite hundreds of objections against adjustments that are far above market value.
On 4 November 2026, voters have the opportunity to vote for the Freedom Front Plus in the local government elections and elect an accountable administration for Emfuleni.
