Moshupa District Council’s finances remain stable yet severely strained as the 2025/26 financial year draws to a close, with officials calling for rigorous austerity measures.

The most pressing issue is the Ministry of Local Government and Traditional Affairs’ failure to release the Quarter Four Recurrent Subsidy Grant, approximately P36 million still outstanding.

During Tuesday’s full council session in Moshupa, Council Chairperson Mr Peter Sethibe did not mince words. 

“This is not some abstract deficit. This is money that should have fed the destitute, fueled refuse trucks and ambulances, paid service providers, and kept our programmes running, ” he said.

The delay has sharply reduced liquidity, in several instances undermining the council’s capacity to provide essential services to the communities it serves. 

Mr Sethibe confirmed he had raised the matter directly with the ministry and continued to engage officials urgently.

Despite the shortfall, he said the council had exercised financial discipline. 

Total expenditure currently stands at about P109 million against an adjusted budget of P137 million, reflecting a controlled expenditure rate of 79 per cent.

Revenue collection from own sources reached roughly P1.4 million by February 2026, achieving only 45 percent of the annual target.

Mr Sethibe commended the Revenue Maximisation Committee for its consistent meetings and progress in negotiations with First National Bank and Capital Bank on loan deduction commissions, as well as the use of bulk SMS reminders sent to business owners.

He added that once full investment income for the year was captured, the revenue picture would improve, but stressed there could be no excuses.

 “We must do better. And we will.”

In agriculture, Mr Sethibe said 808 farmers, 373 males and 435 females, have ploughed and planted 929.75 hectares, adding that inputs, including e-vouchers, tillage subsidies and seeds, arrived after the early November rains had already fallen and evaporated.

He said pest surveillance remains active, with no pests of economic significance detected so far, unlike the previous season in parts of Lotlhakane West and Dikhudung. “No locusts. No armyworm. No outbreak that would add agricultural catastrophe to meteorological disappointment. This is mercy. And we receive it with gratitude,” Mr Sethibe said.

The e-voucher system has distributed seeds to 4,656 farmers, with verification of redeemed vouchers ongoing. 

While the system brings efficiencies, it poses challenges for elderly farmers unfamiliar with digital platforms and for villages with poor network connectivity. These issues had been formally submitted to the Ministry, and the council awaits responsive action, he explained.

Fertiliser distribution has reached 477.2 tons benefiting 2,386 farmers. However, he said delayed rains and staggered input delivery have resulted in late applications, reducing effectiveness. 

“When fertiliser is applied to dry soil, its efficacy is severely diminished. This is science. This is also waste,” he explained.

Looking to the next financial year, Mr Sethibe called on the council to advocate strongly for earlier rollout of the Lemang Dijo programme before the rains arrive, not during them, along with reliable transport for extension workers, stricter penalties for defaulting suppliers, and expanded access to irrigation to lessen dependence on increasingly unpredictable rainfall. ENDS