IDP: Vryheid municipality must prioritise service delivery
The AfriForum branch in Vryheid is calling on the Abaqulusi Local Municipality to prioritise service delivery in Vryheid during the new financial year (2026/2027). The town’s road, water and electricity infrastructure has lagged over the past few years. On 10 April, the branch submitted these written proposals regarding service delivery to the Abaqulusi Municipality’s annual Integrated Development Plan (IDP).
AfriForum has had success in the past with some of its proposals being included and completed in the Municipality’s IDP, including one of Vryheid’s poor roads which was rebuilt. “It is therefore important that branches participate in the IDP process to submit proposals that will contribute to development in their communities,” says Eugene van Aswegen, AfriForum’s Provincial Coordinator for KwaZulu-Natal.
Service delivery
Vryheid has been experiencing frequent power outages for the past few years, especially on smallholdings, making it a target for criminals. No improvement in service delivery was observed in this small KwaZulu-Natal town in the past financial year (2025/2026). Regarding the roads, AfriForum proposes that parts of Vryheid’s main routes, including East, South, West and Heeren Streets, be rebuilt.
Furthermore, it is worrying that 52% – which amounts to a value of R19 million – of the Abaqulusi Municipality’s purified water is lost according to the Auditor-General’s (AG) report. “This loss can only be attributed to illegal connections and mainly leaking water infrastructure,” says André van der Walt, AfriForum’s Branch Chairperson for Vryheid.
The AG’s report further points out that 26% – equivalent to a value of R70 million – of the Municipality’s electricity losses can be attributed to poor infrastructure, illegal connections and tampered electricity meters.
Spending
According to the AG’s report, the Abaqulusi Municipality spent R174 million more in the 2023/2024 financial year than what it collected and had then already spent 10% of the next financial year (2024/2025) budget. The total revenue for the Abaqulusi Municipality was R826 million in the 2023/2024 financial year of which R546 million was generated by the Municipality. The National Treasury website indicates that the property tax revenue for 2023 and 2024 was R110 million and R138 million respectively. The AG’s report shows that 81% of the Municipality’s debt has not been collected. This raises concerns and therefore the poor service delivery that is experienced. These funds come from property owners and are for typical non-billable services such as repairing potholes and street lights and maintaining sidewalks and parks.
The AG report further indicates that the Municipality misallocated more than R434 million in expenditure during the 2023/2024 financial year, which is likely attributed to misappropriation. This includes more than R300 million in unauthorised expenditure, R125 million in irregular expenditure and R9 million in fruitless and wasteful expenditure incurred.
According to the AG’s report, uncompetitive and unfair purchases are being made. Only 4,7% of the budget was spent on maintenance, while the National Treasury recommends 8%. AfriForum is concerned that the low spending on maintenance of machinery and other equipment contributes to the current poor service delivery.
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