Expanded rates relief measures to be tabled at City Council

23 May 2025

The City of Cape Town will next week table expanded rates relief measures and other changes to the budget. The public will have an opportunity to comment on changes to the City’s proposed budget for 2025/26 following the tabling at City Council’s sitting on Wednesday, 28 May. Amendments resulting from the latest National Budget tabled this week will also be adopted before the start of the new financial year.

The public will be able to comment from 28 May to 13 June on proposed changes to the City’s Invested in Hope budget for 2025/26.

‘Cape Town has tabled a South African-record R40bn infrastructure budget, the widest social relief net of any city, and next week we’ll table measures for even further relief on monthly bills, which are already the lowest of SA’s cities despite Cape Town delivering better services and public value compared to other metros.
 
‘We’ve listened carefully to Capetonians and will propose expanded relief measures to further soften monthly bill increases in addition to the major electricity price relief for all households.
 
‘The City’s Mayoral Committee this week considered a report on public participation, including a petition calling for the raising of residential electricity prices instead of a City-wide cleaning charge. Our modelling shows this will negatively impact households and that it is better to pursue other relief measures. It is also not feasible to phase out critical and urgent infrastructure upgrades as the petition requests. Cape Town will not follow the path of decline seen in other cities, and there are no non-urgent major infrastructure projects in our capital budget.
 
‘We’ve thoroughly examined the budget to find innovative means to further soften the impact on monthly bills and will table these amendments at Council for public comment from 28 May – 13 June. Amendments to commercial tariff structures will also be tabled,’ said Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis.
 
Mayor Hill-Lewis will address City Council on changes to the proposed budget as follows:
 
Date: 28 May 2025
Venue: Council Chambers, 6th Floor Podium Block, Civic Centre, Cape Town CBD
Time: 09:00
 
Kindly RSVP to Lyndon.Khan@capetown.gov.za  
 
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Published by:
City of Cape Town, Media Office