Greater Tzaneen Municipality draft IDP budget under scrutiny

According to the GTM’s draft IDP budget, which is currently in its consultation phase with communities, the total projected revenue for next year’s budget is R2.067 billion. The total revenue budget includes an amount of R551m which represents an equitable share allocation to the municipality. An amount of R190m will be levied by way of property rates and R1.032b will be sourced from user service charges.

The operational budget amounts to R1.808b for expenditure. R489m will be spent on employee-related costs, R133m for inventory consumption excluding labour costs, and R560m for the purchase of bulk electricity, the budget states. An amount of R213m has been allocated for capital expenditure, which includes the municipal infrastructure grant (MIG) allocation of R105m which will be spent on roads, community halls, and the installation of high mast lights.

Also read: Angry residents voice their concerns and dissatisfaction to GTM at meeting

For solid waste kerbside removals, an increase from R166.53 to R174.69 is foreseen for both urban and non-urban residential premises. Water tariffs for domestic use will increase from R1.56 per kl (0 – 6 kl) to R1.64 per kl, and for business (0 – 50 kl), an increase from R5.56 per kl to R5.83 per kl is proposed. Electricity connection charge for agricultural and domestic residents for 16 kVA single phase at 70 amp will be R717.83, while for businesses it will cost R2 416.45.

DA ward 15 councillor, Chrizelle Dreyer, says that the draft IDP budget is concerning. She says wards where most of GTM’s funding is generated, are not represented. “Basic service delivery and maintenance are not prioritised as projects for proper oversight by councillors. The draft IDP needs to start talking about basic service delivery, current infrastructure needs to be maintained sustainably,” she says.

Also read: GTM budgets R1.6 billion for 2022/2023

“The fact that copy and paste from previous years are applied does not ensure trust in the process. Needs from the public participation meetings are not included, which makes the engagements only a compliance exercise and not real consultation,” Dreyer states. André Moss of the FF Plus says his party rejects the IDP draft in its current form, as they believe that no public needs were considered when drafting the IDP budget.

“The operational budget of R1.8b has no specific projects linked to it. Most of the money is kept in a maintenance pool which can lead to abuse of funds.” He says no planning was done to determine the operational budget estimates. “It amounts to poor project performance management, with subsequent negative consequence management,” explains Moss.

Also read: VF plus sê dat deelname te min is vir Tzaneen IDP begroting

He adds that GTM did not consider any of the community’s concerns which were raised last year at the Tzaneen Primary School meeting where the mayor made promises, including the streetlights in Flora Park. The Herald contacted other parties in the GTM council, such as the EFF, to their voice their opinion on the draft budget.

At the time of print, no response was received. In ward 19 in Nkowankowa, a public consultation meeting scheduled for Sunday, April 14 did not take place. Unconfirmed reports stated that the cancellation of the meeting was because community projects that were not completed and for fears that the meeting may not end well.