DEMOCRATI Alliance (DA) Tshwane Mayoral candidate Cilliers Brink says the city has become more expensive to live and do business in.
Brink briefed the media in Sunnyside, Tshwane, on Wednesday, 17 September 2025, outlining urgent steps the city must take to halt this cost-of-living crisis, restore affordability, and protect economic growth.
He said his party's focus has been on investment and jobs to better understand what Tshwane can do to make it easier for businesses to invest.
"Fixed capital investment is essential to economic growth and job creation. The more we tried to speak about jobs, the more residents spoke about skyrocketing municipal bills. A business owner told us electricity in Tshwane is too expensive for his business to carry out any expansions," he said.
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Brink said an Elandspoort resident, who used to pay R300 a month in property rates, is currently charged R1 400 a month.
"In the eyes of the municipality, his house is now worth about R1,8 million, considerably more than the bank's valuation."
He said Tshwane is now the most expensive metro in Mzansi.
Brink said until Tshwane achieves a financial turnaround, there will not be a significant improvement in service delivery.
"While steps are being taken to improve the city's financial performance, we have to be careful not to overstretch consumers by pushing up bills to a level not justified by the standard of services," he said.
Brink said the DA made two substantive proposals on how Tshwane could push back against higher bills.
"We said the council should increase the non-taxable portion of a home's value, from R150 000 to R450 000. We also warned the council not to approve the introduction of any new municipal tariffs or taxes. Consumers are under immense pressure.
"If Tshwane Deputy Mayor Eugene Modise cannot get his company to pay what he owes the municipality, he must be fired as the MMC for Finance," said Brink.
