The City of Ekurhuleni council has approved the 2025 adjustment budget and the adjusted service delivery and budget implementation plan. Ekurhuleni Mayor Nkosindiphile Xhakaza says the budget changes will help improve service delivery, including restoring municipal facilities, infrastructure reliability and the working conditions of frontline workers.
In a recent interview, Mayor Xhakaza pushed back against claims of severe political instability, systems collapse, financial decline and corruption allegations plaguing the metro. He insisted the city is stable and functioning under what he described as a “Government of Local Unity” (GLU) with a solid foundation based on agreed principles such as the rule of law and performance assessments.
Xhakaza was elected unopposed as mayor in April 2024, with support from all 16 parties in council at the time — including the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), which chose not to contest the position. He acknowledged a challenging year involving decisive changes to the composition of government, moving from a collaborative arrangement to the current GLU structure.
He noted that the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) later removed one of its members from council and declined to join the new arrangement, while the speaker represents a one-member party African Transformation Movement (ATM). Despite this, Xhakaza maintained that a majority of parties, including smaller ones such as the Pan Africanist Congress of Azania (PAC), African Independent Congress (AIC), Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) and United Democratic Movement (UDM), are on board. Together with these partners, the coalition commands 113 seats in council — a majority — even without the EFF, ActionSA or the Democratic Alliance (DA). He described extending an offer to the EFF for roles in human settlements and economic transformation, aligned with their manifesto on housing and shelter, but said they declined.
Xhakaza highlighted grappling with a R2 billion (approximately R2.24 billion in some reports) revenue shortfall that was tempering the city’s revenue and sustainability. He said decisive action was taken on this and other major issues, including writing off a substantial portion of old unpaid bills after failed collection attempts. Officials linked to the shortfall, including some previously aligned with the city manager, were placed on suspension and are attending disciplinary processes. He acted swiftly on revelations from the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry without waiting for final recommendations, suspending implicated officials and initiating corrective measures in both administration and political leadership.
Addressing questions about whether his leadership style was fostering instability or a lack of cohesion, Xhakaza rejected the notion of ongoing instability. He emphasised that he is a product of a transparent democratic process within the ANC, which held its regional conference in August last year. Conference decisions called for decisive leadership to prevent the city from becoming collateral damage in provincial negotiations that had previously given the EFF — including an inexperienced new councillor — a greater role.
Xhakaza said the current actions are aimed at cleaning up the city, confronting corruption allegations stemming from the Madlanga Commission and related ad hoc committee processes, and ensuring the work continues unhindered. He argued that EFF rejection of the government offer, removal of their own speaker (which had enabled some corrective measures), and campaigns calling for his removal amount to a “fightback” because of these decisive steps.
He acknowledged pushback in the media and efforts to tarnish reputations but remained steadfast, stating that everything being done is in the interest of Ekurhuleni’s people. With less than nine months left in the current term, the focus is on swift correction so the incoming leadership can take over in a stronger position.
Xhakaza expressed confidence in recent progress, saying the city has been stabilised in just two months. The administration is now in planning processes, with the State of the City Address scheduled for next week and the MTREF (Medium Term Revenue and Expenditure Framework) to be tabled. Officials understand the priority is service delivery.
By November, the mayor promised, the city will be “clean” as a result of these corrective measures. He framed his approach as serving the people rather than personal interests, drawing on lessons from previous mayoral leadership under whom he served, including in finance, where he learned the value of decisiveness, audits and turning around challenging situations.
The approval of the adjustment budget marks a key step in this recovery effort, according to Xhakaza.