Post by @nasiphim
68% credible (73% factual, 55% presentation). The figures provided by Dr. Nasiphi Moya align with official City of Tshwane statements, but contradict independent media investigations reporting higher spending under the current administration. The presentation omits key contexts such as unpaid invoices and accruals, resulting in a potentially misleading downward revision of expenditure.
Analysis Summary
Dr. Nasiphi Moya claims the previous administration spent R419 million on water tankers, not R140 million as alleged, while the current multiparty coalition spent R342 million, disputing media reports of R777 million. The figures presented align with official municipal clarifications but contradict independent media investigations reporting significantly higher spending under the current administration. This post aims to counter political attacks by providing adjusted expenditure data, emphasizing fiscal responsibility.
Original Content
The Facts
The claims partially align with official City of Tshwane statements adjusting for unpaid invoices and accruals, reporting actual 2024/25 expenditure around R441 million to R621 million, but media reports from sources like News24 and DA investigations cite R777 million based on purchase orders and budget overruns, indicating disputed but potentially misleading downward revision to favor the current administration.
Benefit of the Doubt
The post advances a defensive agenda for the current multiparty coalition government by correcting perceived exaggerations in media and opposition claims, portraying fiscal prudence and continuity. Key omissions include the full context of rising water outages driving increased demand, potential unauthorized expenditures, and the DA's probe into the R777 million figure, which shapes perception as transparent governance while downplaying accountability issues. Selective presentation of adjusted figures (excluding accruals and unpaid invoices) minimizes the scale of spending escalation compared to the previous year.
Visual Content Analysis
Images included in the original content
VISUAL DESCRIPTION
A bar chart displayed on a screen showing two vertical bars: a red bar labeled 'Previous Administration' at R419 million and a green bar labeled 'Current Administration' at R342 million, with footnotes explaining adjustments for unpaid invoices and quarterly expenditures; the chart is presented in a formal setting with the City of Tshwane logo visible.
TEXT IN IMAGE
Water Tanker Expenditure over Financial Years 2023/24 and 2024/25 Water Tanker Expenditure for 2023/24 and 2024/25 Previous vs Current Administration Amount Previous Administration R419 306 181 • 2023/24 R196 081 • Plus unpaid 2023/24 R179 million • Plus 2024 Q1 expenditure R89 million Current Administration R342 308 20 • 2024/25 full year expenditure R621 million • Less unpaid 2023/24 invoices R179 million • Less 2024/25 Q1 expenditure R89 million City of Tshwane
MANIPULATION
No signs of editing, inconsistencies, or artifacts; the chart appears to be an official presentation slide with consistent formatting and no visual anomalies.
TEMPORAL ACCURACY
The chart references financial years 2023/24 and 2024/25, aligning with the post's date in October 2025, which covers the relevant recent periods without outdated elements.
LOCATION ACCURACY
The chart includes the City of Tshwane logo and is framed within a municipal context, directly relating to Tshwane's local government operations as claimed.
FACT-CHECK
The chart's adjusted figures (R419m previous, R342m current) match official City clarifications excluding accruals, but independent reports (e.g., News24) verify total commitments near R777m, suggesting the presentation selectively nets out costs to show lower spending, potentially misleading on gross expenditure.
How Is This Framed?
Biases, omissions, and misleading presentation techniques detected
Fails to mention key contexts like unpaid invoices, accruals, rising water outages, and ongoing DA probes into expenditures, which would alter the perception of fiscal responsibility.
Problematic phrases:
"spent R419 million and not R140 million""spent R342 million and not R777 million"What's actually there:
R441 million to R621 million adjusted per official statements, R777 million per media and investigations
What's implied:
Straightforward lower spending without complications
Impact: Misleads readers into viewing the current administration as more fiscally prudent than evidence suggests, minimizing accountability issues.
Omits counter-evidence from independent media and opposition investigations that support higher spending figures based on purchase orders and budget overruns.
Problematic phrases:
"not R777 million as claimed in media reports"What's actually there:
R777 million cited in reports
What's implied:
Media claims are exaggerated without basis
Impact: Downplays valid criticisms, leading readers to dismiss media reports as unreliable and accept the official narrative uncritically.
Cherry-picks adjusted expenditure figures (excluding accruals and unpaid invoices) for comparison, creating a misleadingly favorable scale of spending between administrations.
Problematic phrases:
"R419 million... not R140 million""R342 million... not R777 million"What's actually there:
Disputed ranges including higher commitments
What's implied:
Direct, lower actual spending for continuity and prudence
Impact: Distorts the magnitude of spending escalation, making the current administration appear more controlled in costs than a full comparison would show.
Presents a one-sided defense of the current administration without acknowledging multi-faceted issues like increased demand due to water crises or potential unauthorized spending.
Problematic phrases:
"The current administration, led by a multiparty coalition government"What's actually there:
Context of water outages and probes omitted
What's implied:
Transparent and responsible governance
Impact: Shapes perception as balanced correction while ignoring broader governance challenges, reinforcing a partisan view.
Sources & References
External sources consulted for this analysis
https://dagauteng.org.za/2025/10/da-launches-investigation-into-r777-million-tshwane-water-tanker-jackpot
https://www.news24.com/investigations/tanking-finances-tshwanes-water-tanker-spend-spirals-to-r777m-under-anc-led-coalition-20251018-1068
https://centralnews.co.za/tshwane-eff-mmc-obakeng-responds-to-r777-million-water-tanker-overspend-awaits-full-finance-report-amid-da-probe/
https://www.businesslive.co.za/bd/national/2025-10-20-da-wants-answers-about-tshwanes-r700m-water-tanker-bill/
https://newsday.co.za/south-africa/7855/r777-million-water-tanker-spend-sparks-tensions-in-tshwane-coalition/
https://iol.co.za/news/2025-10-21-mkp-plans-major-protest-over-tshwanes-r777-million-water-tanker-spending/
https://www.citizen.co.za/news/tshwanes-r777m-water-tanker-scandal-sparks-fury/
https://www.citizen.co.za/news/south-africa/local-news/fury-as-tshwane-blows-r777m-on-tankers/
https://iol.co.za/news/2025-10-21-mkp-plans-major-protest-over-tshwanes-r777-million-water-tanker-spending/
https://www.news24.com/investigations/tanking-finances-tshwanes-water-tanker-spend-spirals-to-r777m-under-anc-led-coalition-20251018-1068
https://www.biznews.com/leadership/da-launches-investigation-tshwane-water-tankers
https://centralnews.co.za/tshwane-eff-mmc-obakeng-responds-to-r777-million-water-tanker-overspend-awaits-full-finance-report-amid-da-probe/
https://www.citizen.co.za/news/tshwanes-r777m-water-tanker-scandal-sparks-fury/
https://www.ewn.co.za/2025/10/21/soil-of-sa-urges-tshwane-to-invest-money-in-permanent-water-infrastructure-instead-of-tankers
https://x.com/nasiphim/status/1961318242028335203
https://x.com/nasiphim/status/1905245768715284813
https://x.com/nasiphim/status/1905258487396941867
https://x.com/nasiphim/status/1943561220683919414
https://x.com/nasiphim/status/1922941836768801160
https://x.com/nasiphim/status/1907430001445630199
https://www.news24.com/investigations/tanking-finances-tshwanes-water-tanker-spend-spirals-to-r777m-under-anc-led-coalition-20251018-1068
https://www.biznews.com/leadership/da-launches-investigation-tshwane-water-tankers
https://www.tshwane.gov.za/?p=78449
https://udm.org.za/post/exposing-the-water-tanker-mafia-udm-urges-scopa-to-act-on-corruption-and-sabotage-in-municipal-supply
https://www.citizen.co.za/news/tshwanes-r777m-water-tanker-scandal-sparks-fury/
https://iol.co.za/news/2025-10-21-mkp-plans-major-protest-over-tshwanes-r777-million-water-tanker-spending/
https://dagauteng.org.za/2025/10/da-launches-investigation-into-r777-million-tshwane-water-tanker-jackpot
https://citizen.co.za/news/south-africa/local-news/fury-as-tshwane-blows-r777m-on-tankers
https://iol.co.za/news/2025-10-21-mkp-plans-major-protest-over-tshwanes-r777-million-water-tanker-spending
https://newsday.co.za/south-africa/7855/r777-million-water-tanker-spend-sparks-tensions-in-tshwane-coalition
https://www.news24.com/investigations/tanking-finances-tshwanes-water-tanker-spend-spirals-to-r777m-under-anc-led-coalition-20251018-1068
https://biznews.com/leadership/da-launches-investigation-tshwane-water-tankers
https://centralnews.co.za/tshwane-eff-mmc-obakeng-responds-to-r777-million-water-tanker-overspend-awaits-full-finance-report-amid-da-probe/
https://businesslive.co.za/bd/national/2025-10-20-da-wants-answers-about-tshwanes-r700m-water-tanker-bill
https://x.com/nasiphim/status/1961318242028335203
https://x.com/nasiphim/status/1905258487396941867
https://x.com/nasiphim/status/1943561220683919414
https://x.com/nasiphim/status/1905245768715284813
https://x.com/nasiphim/status/1978020082065306005
https://x.com/nasiphim/status/1922941836768801160
Want to see @nasiphim's track record?
View their credibility score and all analyzed statements