GOOD Statement by Sandra Dickson,
GOOD City of Cape Town Councillor
21 June 2026
The GOOD Party says the City of Cape Town’s 2026/27 budget, expected to be approved by the DA majority on 29 June 2026, will deepen the financial pressure on ordinary households.
GOOD councillor Sandra Dickson says the budget cannot be separated from GV2025, where residential property values increased by an average of about 17.2%.
“A higher valuation does not mean a ratepayer has more money. It does not mean a worker earns more. It does not mean a family can suddenly afford higher municipal bills,” Dickson said.
Dickson said the recent SAPOA court judgment should have been a warning to the DA-led City, not an inconvenience to work around.
“The court made it clear that municipal charges must be lawful, rational and properly justified. Instead of using that judgment as an opportunity to rethink affordability, the City has simply reshuffled the burden and pushed ahead with a budget that still leaves many residents under pressure.”
She said the City’s rates rebate threshold increase to R620,000 does not solve the problem for thousands of residents whose property values have jumped much faster than their incomes.
Dickson warned that some low-income residents may lose indigent support and electricity lifeline benefits because their properties are now valued above qualifying thresholds.
“People may lose help because their homes are worth more on paper, while their income remains exactly the same. That is not relief. That is punishment by a valuation roll.”
She said the impact is especially harsh where a property is pushed above R1 million, because households then face higher municipal charges, including electricity fixed charges that jump to R424.30 per month, while at the same time paying higher rates.
“For a wealthy household, another increase may be a mere irritation. For an ordinary family, it can mean cutting food, medicine, transport, school costs or electricity.”
Dickson said many households around and above the R1.06 million mark may already pay more than they did in 2025/26 once GV2025 and the new rates structure are taken into account.
“The City likes to speak about protection and relief, but the numbers show that many ordinary residents are not protected at all.”
“The City of Cape Town and Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis are driving a budget that asks struggling residents to fund ambitions they did not choose and cannot afford.”
“The DA majority may approve this budget on 29 June, but long after the Council meeting has ended, Cape Town’s residents will still be sitting at their kitchen tables trying to figure out how to pay the bill.”
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