NELSPRUIT – The audited financial statements of the Afcon soccer tournament co-hosted by Mbombela in January is still in progress. Yet, R55 949 from the municipality’s Afcon Grant are being requested as a rollover onto this year’s budget.
This was announced during a special council meeting last Friday. The council also resolved to approve the amendment of the 2013/14 budget as a result of the inclusion of the 2011/12 and 2012/13 rollover capital projects. This amounts R207 million.
Rollovers from the previous two years that are to be requested to amend the municipality’s capital budget for this financial year, included R104,1 million from the municipal infrastructure grant, R35 million from the public transport infrastructure grant, and R22,1 million from loans.
The acting chief financial officer (CFO), Mr EC Mgwenya, reported that the money would be used to amend the budgets of the municipality’s priority areas. Of these, road infrastructure and storm water (R51,8 million), sanitation (R43,7 million) and water supply (R36,6 million) would be allotted the largest amounts.
A total of R94 889 from the integrated national electrification programme grant and R55 949 from the Afcon grant also went unspent and are to be requested to rollover onto this year’s budget. Yet, its was noted that the approval of capital or conditional grant rollovers are subject to authorisation by the National Treasury. Of the conditions set by treasury for consideration of the rollover application, the most critical was that the municipality would need to provide proof that the position of CFO has been permanently filled.
The term of the previous fixed-term CFO expired on March 30. Most recently, Mgwenya was appointed acting CFO on July 1 for a three-month period.
The general manager of corporate services reported that only eight applications were received during the first advertisement of the post. The second round closed on May 22 and it was expected that the short-listing, interviewing and assessment would be finalised in the next three months.
Ms Cathy Dlamini, executive mayor, requested that the filling of the vacant position of CFO be fast-tracked.
