‘ANC Adjustment Budget is a failure’ – DA
In the Adjustment Budget, tabled in a special council meeting on 27 February, the ANC inflicted a death blow on its own Infrastructure Department.
Recently the ANC released a statement claiming that the municipal budget had made a full recovery; however, these claims soon raised the eyebrows of opposition parties.
In the Adjustment Budget, which was tabled in a special council meeting on 27 February, the African National Congress inflicted a death blow on its own Infrastructure Department. According to councillor Lynn Pannall, the Democratic Alliance maintains that budget allocations for the department were inexcusably reduced to accommodate ‘other’ projects.
“Infrastructure functions as the nerve centre of the municipality and is the major revenue-generating department in council,” she explained. “It is the main player in advancing service delivery operations and the service delivery Capex agenda. It is key to unlocking development and capacitating citizens.
“The ANC’s inability to factor this into the Adjustment Budget shows a governing party which, under Executive Mayor Patrick Lipudi, may lack the skill to prioritise and to enhance service delivery,” Pannall said.
“For this reason, the DA sees the Adjustment Budget as contradictory, misplaced and ineffectual,” she said in a scathing response to the budget during the Council meeting.
She went on to explain that the Water Science Laboratory – the smallest section within the Infrastructure Department – punches way above its weight by generating millions, but receives a mere R500 000 from the Adjustment Budget, which accounts for the lack of chemicals, safety equipment, legislatively required signage and notices, specialised equipment and essential upgrades.
The reduction in the budget allocation to combat huge municipal water losses as identified by the Auditor-General, and ranging between 40 and 50 per cent, exposes the crisis at the very centre of the ANC’s budget strategy.
Upgrades to the electrical network, essential to economic development, have allegedly been bundled out of the Adjustment Budget.
“As repeatedly argued for by the DA, ring-fencing of funds for these revenue-generating departments remains a pipe dream,” Pannall said.
“Ghost-like utterances such as ‘the Budget is exhausted’; ‘projects have been terminated’; ‘there are no vehicles or equipment for officials to function effectively’ and ‘another failing pre-paid water meter project’ will continue to echo through the corridors of the council building because the Adjustment Budget is unable to address these challenges. To add insult to injury, the Maintenance and Repairs Budget has been reduced by 12 per cent, stripping it by R10 million.”
According to Pannall, the DA believes that this Adjustment Budget is a resounding failure. It has ignored the real needs of service delivery and growth and has failed to address the multiple challenges facing Mogale City, she concluded.
Do you perhaps have more information pertaining to this story? Email us at krugersdorpnews@caxton.co.za or phone us on 011 955 1130.I
For free daily local news on the West Rand, also visit our sister websites:
Remember to visit our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages to let your voice be heard!
