The DA used its voting leverage to force major budgetary concessions from the ANC in Ekurhuleni after three failed budget votes threatened a provincial administration takeover.

Key budget concessions secured by the DA include increased property rates to be capped at just 1.5%, legal protection for infrastructure funding for roads, electricity, water, and sanitation and a new specialised unit to be established to fight illegal connections and power theft.

A monthly service delivery tracking dashboard will be published for public transparency, non-essential luxury spending will be frozen to prioritise basic services and stricter financial oversight and consequence management protocols are now mandatory.

The City of Ekurhuleni’s proposed R71-billion budget for the 2026/27 financial year was in limbo following repeated deadlocks in the municipal council.

Opposition parties, including the DA, EFF, and ActionSA, had continuously voted down the budget owing to concerns over aggressive tariff hikes and unrealistic financial assumption.

DA Gauteng leader Solly Msimanga stated the intervention prevents a provincial administration takeover, which would have handed metro control to a Gauteng Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs MEC from the EFF.

The DA maintains this is a victory for residents rather than the ANC, proving the opposition can enforce fiscal discipline and protect South Africa's fourth-largest metro from financial collapse.