Contrary to popular belief, municipalities are not underfunded. In 2010, collective municipal revenue was about R154-billion. By 2024 this figure had ballooned to R517-billion, representing an average annual increase of 9%.As of May 2026, South Africa's municipal landscape is in a state of deep crisis, with 63% of municipalities deemed to be in financial distress, largely driven by a systemic reliance on "cost-recovery" models that clash with high local unemployment rates Siyabulela Mama, member of Zabalaza for Socialism and a member of the Amandla! magazine’s editorial collective shares his views with Power Talk’s Mondi Makhanya.