Mayor promises more services during 2016/17
"Over the past five years we were able to implement projects that changed the face of GTM and improved the lives of our people," he said.
BURGERSFORT – The mayor of the Greater Tubatse Municipality (GTM), Cllr Ralepane Mamekoa recently revealed the 2016/17 Integrated Development Programme (IDP) and budget speech to a packed municipality chamber.
“This is a historic moment as it is the last budget of this current term of this council that was inaugurated in May 2011,” he said.
The mayor emphasised that the IDP and budget were historic because after the upcoming local government elections, GTM was going to be a thing of the past as there was going to be a new municipality.
“Over the past five years we were able to implement projects that changed the face of GTM and improved the lives of our people,” he said.
Mamekoa acknowledged that it was a challenge dealing with the numerous protests that took place in the municipality.
“This brought much attention and focus to GTM. It came as a result of the impatience from our communities in terms of the pace at which government provides services,” he added.
“Our consultative meetings this financial year took a different shape where we were forced to reschedule most of them due to various reasons, ranging from poor attendance to protest action.”
According to the mayor, the bulk of Tubatse residents need services such as RDP houses, water, fencing of cemeteries, paving of streets, community halls, libraries, bursaries, upgrading of sports fields, access to roads and electrification of houses.
Outlining the budget, Mamekoa indicated it had been prepared in accordance to the demands emanating from consultation with the communities.
“We must mention that some of the demands are not within the mandate of our municipality but are the competency of our spheres of government. Our IDP will indicate the intervention made by other spheres of government in addressing the needs of our communities.”
The mayor revealed that the total expenditure for 2016/17 was R578 million. The operating expenditure is R372 million, which is 64 per cent of that which was tabled.
Assets from the Integrated National Electrification Programme were allocated R80 million. The Municipal Infrastructure Grant was allocated R60 million.
“The total revenue for 2016/17 of
R483 million is broken down as follows: capital grants and subsidies received
R142 million, operating grants and subsidies were allocated R 207 Million , and the own revenue was budgeted at R134 million.
“The total expenditure of R578 million, resulting in a deficit of R94 million, reducing to R25 million in 2017/18 and with a projected surplus of R1,4 million in 2018/19,” he said.
Mamekoa used the event as an opportunity to reveal the progress of Operation Mabone. “The initiative is continuing despite the challenges faced during execution. We have received many complaints from the affected communities where it is implemented and good progress has been registered in resolving those challenges.
“We are happy that almost 40 per cent of the 21 villages have been energised and remain confident that all villages will be electrified at the end of the calendar year. In areas such as Ga-Kgoete, Manyaka, Ga-Masha Extensions 4 and 5, we are working with the mines to intervene as the communities are not part of Operation Mabone. This budget will go a long way in addressing the needs of our communities and we must mention that due to the terrain of our municipality, our concentration was on improving rural mobility where most investment was done on the construction of the access bridges.”
He concluded by applauding members of council for the good work done during their term. “We are confident that the next batch of councillors will take the baton and finish what this council initiated. It was a journey full of challenges and collectively we have managed to resolve most of them with our electorates.”
