Durban — The African Transformation Movement (ATM) has defended its decision to vote for the eThekwini Municipality budget on Friday, despite rejection by main opposition parties and ratepayers over tariff increases.
The ATM was among the smaller parties that helped the City pass the R67 billion budget on Friday. Mbhele said City management invited them during budget shows and were happy with their explanation of why tariffs had to be increased.
“It is not that we sold out. We were taken on board during budget shows, and the City did drop down from 14% to 12%, which is why we supported the budget,” said Mbhele.
Apart from that, Mbhele said sometimes they vote with the ANC because it would still win without his party's vote. He added that for the budget, the ANC had lobbied his party and they therefore decided to vote with them because those who were against the passing of the budget did not approach his party.
Mbhele also got backing from his national leader, Vuyo Zungula, who said his party disagrees and agrees with the ANC on other issues. He cited the issue of the Gaza war, where his party agreed with the ANC on taking Israel to the International Criminal Court over genocide.
The ATM’s support for the budget flew against the emphatic calls by the main opposition parties and the eThekwini Ratepayers Protest Movement, which had written to all the parties calling them to reject the budget to force the City to stop tariff increases on basic services like water and electricity.
Reacting to the passing of the budget, eThekwini Ratepayers Protest Movement’s Asad Gaffar expressed his disappointment that despite his impassioned plea to the parties to prevent the City from going ahead with increases, they chose their salaries rather than the people they claim to represent. He said his organisation is seeking legal advice on the increases.
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