By Staff Reporter
NKOWANKOWA-In his first major public address since taking office 29 days ago, the newly appointed Mayor of the Greater Tzaneen Municipality, Councillor Odas Ngobeni, delivered his maiden State of the Municipality Address (SOMA) on Tuesday, 23 June 2026.
Speaking before a packed audience of traditional leaders, civil society, and local dignitaries at the Nkowankowa Sports Center, Mayor Ngobeni unveiled a massive R2.494 billion budget for the 2026/2027 financial year, charting a firm path for infrastructure renewal, financial stability, and aggressive youth economic development.
Mayor Ngobeni kicked off his address by paying homage to departed traditional icons, including Hosi Xihoko, Kgosikgadi Maake, and Hosi Nwamitwa II, before celebrating the municipality’s recent institutional achievements.
Greater Tzaneen has firmly established itself as a leading administrative hub in Limpopo through several major accolades. The municipality has maintained a four-year clean record awarded by SALGA Limpopo for consecutive unqualified audit outcomes. It also recorded 100% MIG Expenditure, successfully spending its allocation to eliminate unauthorized expenditure and compile annual financial statements in-house without relying on expensive external consultants.
Furthermore, the town secured a national cleanliness title after being crowned the winner of the provincial greenest municipality competition and nationally recognized as the cleanest municipality in South Africa. These achievements helped the municipality earn recognition from the South African Property Owners Association (SAPOA) as the best-performing municipality in Limpopo for supporting property investments.
The total revenue budget for the 2026/2027 financial year stands at R2.494 billion, marking an increase of R299 million from the previous cycle. The user charges stand at R1.357 billion, which is primarily driven by electricity and basic services.
The equitable share brings in R549 million, while property rates contribute R223 million. National grants and INEP funding account for R41.2 million, which includes R28 million earmarked for electricity connections. The operational budget is pegged at R2.201 billion, heavily driven by bulk electricity purchases of R842 million and employee-related costs of R550 million. The capital expenditure budget is set at R299 million, with R118 million drawn directly from the MIG to build roads, community halls, and high-mast lighting.
To balance the books, the Mayor announced a series of tariff adjustments, noting that collection rates in Nkowankowa and Lenyenye remain a concern despite town collection rates hovering between 95% and 99%.
Under these adjustments, electricity will increase by 9.10%, property rates, sanitation, and solid waste will all go up by 3.70%, while general water will be adjusted by 101.52%, Haenertsburg water by 62.30%, and sewerage by 281.77%. Over 22,000 households are currently protected on the indigent register, with a new digital, online indigent management system launching in July 2026 to streamline access.
Addressing the district’s water constraints, Mayor Ngobeni welcomed the physical progress of the Tzaneen Dam Wall raising project, which is currently at 65% completion with a revised completion date locked in for 3 September 2026.
The wall is being raised by three meters to increase storage capacity from 157.3 million to 193 million cubic meters. Progress on the upcoming Nwamitwa Dam Project, which will bring 187 million cubic meters of gross storage capacity, was also highlighted.
The Mayor outlined extensive road works completed in Nkowankowa, Letsitele, the industrial areas, and central Tzaneen, including Hospital, Agatha, and Voortrekker roads. However, he issued a stern warning over delayed pedestrian bridges.
For the Petanenge Pedestrian Bridge, the contractor has been officially terminated due to non-performance, and a new contractor will be handed over to the community in the coming days. Meanwhile, progress is moving forward on the Tlhabine Pedestrian Bridge, with a strict completion deadline set for 14 August 2026. The municipal infrastructure plan has allocated R21 million for street upgrades in Nkowankowa Sections B and D. Another R35 million is set aside for the upgrading of roads from Serututung to Malengenge, while R27 million will go toward the paving of Khetoni Access Road. The municipality has further allocated R21.3 million for access streets from Serututung to Tickyline, alongside R6.5 million for internal streets in Tzaneen Extension 13.
The municipality has facilitated the electrification of 3,196 rural households over the last five financial years.
In the 2026/2027 cycle, an additional R23.141 million via the Integrated National Electrification Programme (INEP) will connect 902 more households. This includes 300 households in Burgersdorp (Colbits) Phase 3 for R7.7 million, 273 households in Mavele Phase 7 for R7 million, 100 households in Rwanda Phase 3 for R2.6 million, 100 households in Dan Phase 2 for R2.6 million, and 129 households in Mawa Block 1 for R3.3 million.
Additionally, 15 new high-mast grid lights are budgeted at R10.5 million to improve safety across rural wards, backed by a R10 million investment for a SCADA network monitoring system and R20 million to replace the aging Tarentaal 60MVA Transformer.
The Mayor highlighted that municipal local economic initiatives have created 1,525 jobs, alongside 1,721 via the Community Works Programme and 1,662 through the EPWP. The local economy is set for a massive boost with the proposed R3 billion Dan City Mixed-Use Development in Nkowankowa. Spanning approximately 146,000 square meters, it will rank as one of the largest rural retail and commercial developments in South Africa.
The Mayor announced the establishment of the Tarentaal Incubation Hub for emerging entrepreneurs and revealed 10 new local youth businesses approved for immediate NYDA funding packages ranging from R10,000 to nearly R40,000 for salons, sewing projects, internet cafes, and poultry farming.
Through COGHSTA, 1,159 RDP houses have been built in Tzaneen since 2022. An additional 179 housing units have been officially allocated for the 2026/2027 financial year to further decrease the local shelter backlog.
The Joppie Sports Ground is nearing completion, with the official handover date set for 15 July 2026. Meanwhile, R5 million has been allocated for the total rehabilitation of Lenyenye Stadium, and another R12 million is dedicated to the construction of Runnymede Sports Facility Phase 2, with completion expected by the end of 2026.
Closing his address, Mayor Ngobeni took a firm stance on restoring law and order within the Tzaneen CBD, emphasizing that municipal by-laws will be aggressively enforced to protect the town’s visual appeal and maintain investor confidence.
“While we remain committed to supporting the poor, we cannot allow disorder to undermine progress. We call on all stakeholders to support efforts to create a clean, safe, and well-managed town,” the Mayor concluded.
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