Rustenburg Local Municipality mayor, Sheila Huma, has announced a maintenance-driven budget for the 2025–2026 financial year.
Speaking at a council sitting at the Rustenburg Civic Centre on Thursday, Huma detailed key spending priorities and changes made in consultation with the National Treasury.
She said the money set aside for repairs and maintenance includes R252.2-million for water and sanitation. This is including RWST, R53.8-million for electricity, R18.6-million for roads and stormwater. R22.4-million for transport management, and R44.6-million for buildings and other areas. The total maintenance budget is R391.6-million.
Medium-Term Revenue and Expenditure Framework
Huma also highlighted important adjustments to the Medium-Term Revenue and Expenditure Framework (MDREF), largely influenced by recommendations from the National Treasury.
“The following key changes were made to the tabled 2025/2026 MDREF. As I was saying after the consultation with the National Treasury, the contracted services were decreased by R4-million in line with cost containment measures and the National Treasury assessment.
“We also reduced in terms of inventory consumed, we decreased by R6.1-million based on the latest available data for water purchases and the National Treasury assessment. Bulk purchases decreased by R60.2-million. These based on the latest available data for electricity purchases and the National Treasury assessment,” said Huma.
Sanitation tariffs
She also announced a rise in sanitation tariffs to 13%, which she said is in line with average bulk supplier increase and the National Treasury assessment resulting in additional revenue of R10-million.
These changes, she said, are expected to strengthen the municipality’s financial position. She said it will boost the municipality from an unfunded budget to a funded budget position.
Mayor Huma went on to outline the projected revenue and spending for the year ahead.
“The 2025/2026 MDREF will result in the below revenue operating expenditure and capital expenditure. The total revenue inclusive of transfer and subsidies is budgeted at R7.3-billion. This is below the 2024/2025 adjustment budget revenue by 4% amounting to R303-million.
Budgeted surplus
“Operating budget expenditure is budgeted for R6.7-billion which is below the 2024/2025 adjustment budget revenue amounted to R153-million at 2%. Budgeted surplus before the capital expenditure is R605-million while surplus after capital expenditure is R123-million,” said Huma.
She explained that R483-million is budgeted for capital expenditure but this is also below the 2024/2025 adjustment budget by R216-million.
“Always bear in mind that the people are not fighting for ideas or the things in anyone’s head. They are fighting to win the material benefits, to live better and in peace, to settle their lives, go forward to guarantee the future of their children,” said Huma.
