I spoke to @XoliMngambi to correct the inaccuracies regarding Tshwane’s expenditure on water tanker services. While the former mayor of Tshwane continues to manipulate public opinion, the facts remain clear: The figure of R777 million is a lie. As records show, spending by the previous administration was actually higher than that of the current administration. We’ve spent the past year investing in internal city-owned water tankers that are driven by our own staff. We’ve done this with a commitment to reduce spending on external contracts when emergency water delivery is required.

When I became Mayor in October 2024, I inherited a municipality in serious financial difficulty, with four consecutive unfunded budgets and more than R13 billion in accumulated debt, including approximately R6.7 billion owed to Eskom. Families in Ikageng had endured eight years without reliable water, residents in Soshanguve faced repeated electricity outages, and approximately one in three economically active residents could not find work. That was the Tshwane we inherited. We could have spent our time blaming the previous administration, explaining the problems and making excuses for the state of our capital. Instead, we chose to get to work.