Rabia Mayet | rabiamayet@radioislam.co.za

14 September 2026

3-minute read

Burst pipes, water shutdowns, dishevelled pavements, uncut grass, and potholes that have turned into craters are compelling Newcastle residents to take their municipal bills and service delivery concerns to the streets with an organized citizen’s march this week.

Faizel Cassim, a former Newcastle councillor and organizer of the march, says that according to neighbourhood polls, the increase in municipal tariffs and the inconsistent billing across the different blocks of the city are what is driving the march. Citing the example of water tariffs increasing by 30% as opposed to the usual 7%, Cassim says that this is causing exorbitant utilities for the month. The march will take the memorandum to the council in the hopes of getting feedback on the “discrepancies in the billing system.”

Going back 3 years, Cassim explains that Newcastle was owing Eskom and uThukela Water approximately R600million. In 2024, the city managed to settle the debt and bring the figure down to zero, but subsequently, “they are back to where they were,” he says, with the billing currently reflecting between R700 and R800 million, perhaps indicating that the billing system may have been tampered with.

Cassim comments that service delivery in Newcastle “doesn’t exist” despite residents paying their bills towards municipal services.  Both politically and administratively, he blames the drop in service delivery on the management of the municipality.

With most of the wards in the eastern rural areas being regarded as indigent, only 6 of the 35 wards in Newcastle pay their rates and taxes. Cassim says that unless they get a bailout from national or provincial treasury, it will be impossible to pay the bills with the money generated from these six wards.

Just weeks to go before local government elections, whichever way residents vote, “you’re not going to get anywhere.” Independent candidates and new parties forming from the eastern side are making promises for change. But these promises are unlikely to be fulfilled, unless flat-rate tariffs are introduced and water meters are installed in the non-paying eastern area, to generate income for service delivery. “It will ease the finances of Newcastle municipality and maybe bring us back to some reality whereby it can take care of itself,” Faizel Cassim concluded.

Listen to the full interview with Ml Sulaimaan Ravat and Faizel Cassim here.