Tshwane's R4 billion revenue milestone at risk due to legal challenges

While the City of Tshwane celebrated a historic financial achievement for collecting over R4 billion in revenue for October, the DA warned that this milestone might be short-lived, pending the outcome of the cleansing levy court case.

DA mayoral candidate Cilliers Brink cautioned that an adverse ruling on the cleansing levy could cost the city dearly, forcing it to refund affected consumers. 

The levy, which applies to property owners using private waste collection services, was declared invalid by the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria, on August 1, 2025, following a legal challenge by AfriForum.

The city has lodged an appeal with the Supreme Court of Appeal.

Brink said the record levels of revenue collected by the city are in large part based on rampant double billing for waste collection and city cleansing.

He said the city proceeded to do credit control on disputed waste collection and city cleansing bills in October, despite widespread confusion and disorganisation about these charges.

“If the Supreme Court of Appeal sets aside the so-called city cleansing levy, much of the city’s revenue will have to be written back to the accounts of already overburdened consumers,” he said.

The city has acknowledged that 11,862 accounts were incorrectly billed when the levy was implemented last month.

Municipal spokesperson Lindela Mashigo said: “These accounts have now been rectified, and customers will see the reversals reflected in their November 2025 municipal statements. Credit adjustments for the affected amounts are being processed in batches and will be visible on customer accounts by the end of November 2025.”

He said the billing system error, which stemmed from a technical misconfiguration within the city’s billing system, was identified in recent months.

“Upon discovery, the city acted swiftly to investigate and correct the problem, reaffirming its commitment to transparency, accountability, and fairness in all financial processes,” Mashigo said.

Deputy Executive Mayor of Tshwane, also MMC for Finance, Eugene Modise, said for the first time ever in the history of Tshwane, it has surpassed the R4 billion mark in collections in a single month.

He said as at October 31, 2025, the city’s income stands at R4 088 billion, with R427 million collected over the past weekend.

“This performance represents the collective effort of our teams, our stakeholders, and the residents who continue to support the city’s financial sustainability,” he said.

He attributed the success to innovative approaches to revenue collection, enhanced digital platforms, and proactive engagement with customers.

“Surpassing the R4 billion mark is a reflection of resilience, strategic foresight, and a shared belief in the city’s capacity to deliver excellence. It also reinforces our position as a financially stable and forward-looking municipality capable of navigating challenges while driving sustainable development,” he said.

Modise added that as the city continues to celebrate the historic milestone “we remain focused on the future; committed to maintaining momentum, improving efficiency, and ensuring that every rand collected translates into visible progress for our communities”.

rapula.moatshe@inl.co.za