Tshwane Mayor Denies R777 Million Water Tanker Spending Claim, Orders Forensic Probe. Image credit: Dr Nasiphi Moya/X
(The Post News) – City of Tshwane mayor Nasiphi Moya has dismissed claims that the municipality spent R777 million on water tankers, saying the figure is “incorrect and misleading.”
Speaking during a media briefing in Pretoria, Moya said the City has launched an independent forensic investigation to ensure transparency and accountability in how water tanker operations are managed.
This comes after accusations by the Democratic Alliance (DA) and other movements that water tanker operators seemed to be the biggest beneficiaries of ANC-coalition mayor Nasiphi Moya’s first year in office. Many are calling for immediate transparency and accountability from the city regarding its expenditure on water tanker services.
Water Tanker Allegations
The DA alleged that Tshwane’s water tanker spending increased by 455% to R777 million under the new ANC-led coalition government, despite conditions not justifying such high expenditure.
This information being drawn from a News24 investigation published alleges that this made water tanker operations the largest operational expense for the Department of Water and Sanitation despite reduced load shedding and resolved maintenance issues.
The investigation questioned the increase and suggested that politically connected contractors might have benefited from the “tanker jackpot,” with funds potentially diverted from infrastructure maintenance to manufacturing a water crisis.
They argue a new water plant should have reduced tanker bills and that the city’s water emergency is self-inflicted.
Tshwane Briefing
Moya said the claims are incorrect and misrepresents the real situation. “This figure is not based on audited expenditure but on a system extract showing the total value of purchase orders, including about R156 million in cancelled, duplicated or unprocessed transactions,” she said.
According to Moya, verified financial records tell a different story, whereas in the 2023/24 financial year, the City spent R322.95 million on tanker operations — a figure that includes R179.9 million in unpaid invoices that were only processed in 2025.
She said these late payments created a “false impression of a sharp rise in spending” under the current administration.
“Once the unpaid invoices are excluded, the actual 2024/25 expenditure amounts to R441.1 million.That represents a 36% increase from the previous year, which corresponds directly with a 58% increase in water outages during the same period. The evidence shows that higher spending was a direct and proportionate response to the scale of water supply interruptions, not irregular procurement,” she explained.
The City recorded a significant spike in water outages, from an average of 7,800 “No Water” reports in 2021/22 to 23,746 in 2024/25. Moya said this surge stemmed from structural issues such as Rand Water maintenance shutdowns, ageing infrastructure, and pollution at the Rooiwal Wastewater Treatment Works.
“Critical facilities like hospitals and clinics cannot afford interruptions, which means we have to deploy tankers whenever disruptions occur. The investigation will review procurement processes, expenditure patterns and delivery records to identify any irregularities or possible corruption,” she said.
The mayor added that the City will work with the Auditor-General and internal audit teams to strengthen oversight and restore public trust.
ActionSA Slams DA For Slander
ActionSA National Chaiperson Micheal Beuamont said unlike Brink, ActionSA will deal in facts because they are on our side.
“The truth is simple. Under the DA, water-tanker costs ballooned while infrastructure collapsed. The rise in tanker use mirrors the rise in outages caused by years of under-investment, failing reservoirs and neglected maintenance that all occurred on their watch. The current administration is fixing what the DA broke. We are installing hydrant meters, expanding the City’s internal tanker fleet, investing in boreholes and permanent communal taps and building long-term water security so that Tshwane residents can rely on taps, not tankers,” he said.
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