eThekwini Municipality allocates R333 million for community infrastructure projects across 111 wards

The chairperson of the eThekwini Municipality Economic Development Committee, Councillor Thembo Ntuli, said the approval of the community infrastructure projects (CIP) R333 million budget was a victory for communities.

The CIP projects for the 111 municipal wards for the 2025/26 financial year Medium Term Revenue and Expenditure Framework (MTREF) were approved at Thursday's council meeting.

This process directs funding allocations into relevant departments for service providers based on submissions made by ward councillors. 

The Parks, Recreation and Culture Directorate has been allocated R93 million, while the Water and Sanitation Services Directorates will receive R67 million 

The Human Settlements Directorate is allocated R47 million, and the Road Infrastructure Management Directorate will benefit from R40 million.

In preparation for the CIP block sum, a process of scoping and quantifying work had to be undertaken.

The municipality explained that this is executed utilising a team of professionals, departmental champions, social facilitators, and ward councillors. The process normally takes two to three months, depending on the availability of all stakeholders.

The budget will be controlled within the programme management directorate that reports to the operations management department.

Previously, the budget was unbundled through different departments, and this had raised concerns over risks of a lack of central accountability, as work was implemented in a fragmented approach.

The CIP appointed professional consultants at the end of July 2025 to support packaging, documentation, and implementation of the programme. A tender process is also under way to appoint regional managing contractors to be responsible for the implementation of all projects within the regional footprint. 

The tender award in this regard is anticipated to be made before the end of November 2025.

In the event of delays in finalising the tender process, the municipality has developed alternative options to ensure that the process continues as planned.

Ntuli stated that this demonstrates the municipality’s commitment to efficient service delivery.

“These projects are essential to improving the health of our households, enhancing the surrounding environment, and providing access to basic services. By implementing contingency plans, we are ensuring that work begins immediately, avoiding unnecessary delays, fruitless expenditure, and potential community unrest,” said Ntuli.

Heinz de Boer, eThekwini DA Ward 36 councillor, expressed concern that R300,000 from the R3 million allocated to councillors was directed towards consulting engineers.

He stated that the DA would take an oversight role on all projects. 

“The community infrastructure projects are a stopgap measure for the real wish list projects that councillors seek in communities. These are projects that residents come to them with regularly. The CIP gives an opportunity, as councillors, to get those projects done. We need to take money away from officials who do not know how to budget it and give it to CIP projects where we can get it implemented more effectively,” he said. 

Imtiaz Syed, leader of the Active Citizens Coalition (ACC), said that Proportional Representative (PR) councillors should also have a say in where the money was being spent.

Syed called for transparency from ward councillors. 

“It has become the norm that ward councillors believe they need to spend in whatever way they deem fit. It is important to involve the PR councillors in the consulting process of how the money is being spent. Councillors believe that we are at war with them,” he said. 

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