Zululand District (AbaQulusi, eDembe, Nongoma, Ulundi, uPhongolo) municipality calls for public comment on proposed tariff increases, the draft budget and IDP
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- Proposed increases are available in the summary below
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The Zululand District Municipality (DC26) functions as the Water Services Authority (WSA) for its entire region. This means while the local municipalities (like Abaqulusi or Ulundi) manage property rates and refuse, the District Municipality itself determines the cost and delivery of water 💧 and sanitation.
THE INCREASES ARE AS FOLLOWS
Staff salaries 4.75%
Zululand District Municipality (Water & Sanitation)
Since the District manages water for all towns (including Vryheid, Pongola, and Ulundi), these figures apply to every resident in the district.
| Proposed Increase (%) | Context / Reason | |
| Water Provision | ~5.5% – 6.0% | Driven by the cost of water treatment chemicals and the “Generation Capacity Charge” for pump stations. |
| Sanitation | ~5.5% – 6.0% | Aligned with water hikes to maintain the aging sewer network. |
| Bulk Water Projects | Allocated Capital | Focus remains on the Mtubatuba/Hlabisa bulk water scheme and rural reticulation. |
Local Municipality Draft Increases (Electricity, Rates & Refuse)
While the District handles the water, your local council determines the costs for your electricity, property rates, and trash collection.
| Electricity (Domestic) ⚡ | Property Rates 🏠 | Refuse Removal 🗑️ | |
| Abaqulusi (Vryheid) | 9.9% 🚩 | 4.5% | 4.5% |
| Ulundi | 9.01% | 4.6% | 4.6% |
| Nongoma | 9.01% | 4.5% | 4.5% |
| uPhongolo | 9.01% | 4.5% | 4.5% |
| eDumbe | 9.01% | 4.9% | 4.9% |
| Staff Salary Benchmark | 4.75% | 4.75% | 4.75% |
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- Abaqulusi’s Electricity Markup (9.9%): Abaqulusi is a major point of interest. A Cost of Supply study originally suggested a 29% hike to account for overheads! 🔌 While they’ve limited the draft to 9.9%, this is still nearly double the 4.75% salary increase they are giving their own staff. 👔
- The “Unfunded” Risk: Several municipalities in Zululand (notably Nongoma and eDumbe) are under intense pressure from National Treasury due to historical financial distress. Their “low” 4.5% – 4.9% rates are a survival tactic to maintain collection levels in a struggling economy. 📉
- The Water vs. Salary Gap: At ~6%, the water hike is roughly 25% higher than the salary increase for the officials managing the service. Residents are effectively being asked to pay for “operational inefficiencies” and high electricity costs for pump stations. 🚰
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