The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Polokwane has rejected the 2026/27 to 2028/29 Medium-Term Revenue and Expenditure Forecast (MTREF) Budget adopted by the ANC-led Polokwane Municipality.
The DA was the only party represented in Council to oppose this budget. We did so because the budget fails to adequately address the basic service delivery challenges that residents experience daily, while continuing to prioritise a costly and deeply flawed Softball Stadium project.
During the budget debate, the DA once again raised the concerns of residents across all clusters of Polokwane who are forced to navigate pothole-ridden roads, deteriorating infrastructure, and dark, unsafe streets due to persistent streetlight failures.
National Treasury, in its assessment of the municipal budget, highlighted that Polokwane faces an estimated 80% roads infrastructure backlog. Treasury also raised concerns regarding the Municipality’s pilot solar streetlight programme, which has itself been plagued by vandalism and theft.
Against this backdrop, the DA argued that the R110 million allocated over the next three years from municipal own funding towards the Softball Stadium project should instead be redirected towards road rehabilitation and addressing the growing backlog in streetlight maintenance. Such an investment would have a direct and meaningful impact on the daily lives of residents.
The DA previously voted against the allocation of an additional R184 million towards the Softball Stadium in late 2023. We firmly believe that the project can still be completed at a fraction of its current cost if its scope is drastically reduced, as we proposed more than two years ago. Doing so would help prevent further fruitless and wasteful expenditure.
The project has been characterised by poor planning, questionable decision-making, and concerns regarding the bid evaluation process. Once the Municipal Public Accounts Committee (MPAC) report is formally tabled before Council, the DA will write to the Speaker requesting that the entire project be subjected to a full independent forensic investigation.
Residents deserve a municipality that prioritises functioning roads, reliable streetlights, and essential service delivery over vanity projects.
We therefore urge all eligible voters to make use of the voter registration weekend on 20–21 June 2026 to ensure they are correctly registered and ready to vote in the upcoming local government elections. Polokwane needs a government that puts residents first.