By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
City of Tshwane Mayor Nasiphi Moya has strongly rejected claims that the city spent R777 million on water tankers during the 2024/2025 financial year.
Briefing the media in Pretoria on Thursday, the mayor said the figure reflects the total value of purchase orders issued and not the actual expenditure.
Moya blamed officials for leaking what she described as misleading information.
She clarified that the R777m figure represents procurement activity, not actual expenditure, citing a verified financial report.
She explained that in the 2023/24 financial year, the city ring-fenced the tanker function and recorded R322m in expenditure, including R179m in unpaid invoices that were settled in 2025.
As a result of unpaid R179m, she said contractors descended on Tshwane House on July 24, 2024, demanding payment for outstanding invoices.
“The R140m quoted in the media excludes these unpaid bills and, therefore, understates the true cost incurred under the previous administration. When these invoices were eventually settled, they were carried over to the new administration’s book, creating a false impression of the sharp rise in spending.”
According to her, in the 2024/25 financial year, the city actually paid R621m, as per verified records from the city’s finance department, which includes R179m in accruals from the 2023/24 financial year.
“Once these are excluded, the actual expenditure amounts to R441m, which represents a 36% increase from the previous year, corresponding directly with a 50% increase in water outages during the same period.”
Moya highlighted that R98m of the R441m was spent in the first quarter, accounting for 22% of the total. So, the story that this administration, in a space of nine months, spent R777m is not correct,”she said.
The mayor added that the city has begun withdrawing water tankers, which should save the city money during the current financial year.
Moya said several initiatives have been implemented to reduce reliance on tankers, the most notable being fire hydrants.
According to Moya, whether the city received fair value for money remains unclear.
Investigations are currently underway to identify irregularities or possible corruption in procurement processes, expenditure patterns, and delivery records.
DA caucus leader Cilliers Brink wants the Public Protector to probe possible instances of fraud.
“We’re taking this fight to the Public Protector because Tshwane residents deserve honesty, transparency and leadership that protects every cent, not politicians who treat public money like their own, “Brink said.
ActionSA National Chairperson Michael Beaumont dismissed the DA’s claims as a “political lie”, accusing the DA of secretly working with municipal officials to manipulate figures.
Elsewhere Floyd Brink’s reappointment as City Manager in Johannesburg has been halted due to disagreement among ANC leaders.
The council was expected to vote on the adoption of a report that recommended Brink’s appointment as city manager.
ANC leaders, including the party’s secretary-general Fikile Mbalula, were locked in a tense meeting two hours before the council meeting began on Thursday morning.
Brink was up with the CEO of the Council for the Built Environment, Dr Msizi Myeza, and the city’s COO, Tshepo Makola. The selection panel has recommended that Brink be appointed on a fixed-term performance-based contract, effective 1 November.