Make your voices heard, DA JHB urges residents

The Democratic Alliance (DA) has raised concerns over the 2020/2021 draft budget presented by ANC-led City of Johannesburg Mayor, Geoff Makhubo on 29 May. In a virtual press briefing earlier today, 2 June, DA Johannesburg Caucus Leader Leah Knott said that insufficient consideration had been afforded to public input.

“Valuable inputs from business and civil society were neglected and the oversight functions of public representatives were suspended,” she said. “In order to bring an end to this state of affairs, our residents must assume responsibility and hold government to account.”

Residents and businesses needed to become involved in the processes dealing with how the City generated and spent money, she added.

“We want to appeal to the larger Johannesburg community to be present when decisions are made about their future and that of their children. Make your voices heard.”

Public participation in the Integrated Development Plan (IDP), budgets and rates and tariff processes would, she said, provide residents with the opportunity to give direction on how the city prioritised the expenditure of public money.

With the publication of the city’s draft budget and IDP, residents now had the opportunity to have a say in the amount of tax they would pay, and how it would be spent. Knott stated that the City “must be open to re-evaluation and the prioritising of resources accordingly”.

The DA identified the following five focal points it believed the City’s budget should prioritise:

• Job creation
• Improving access to basic healthcare
• Improving social assistance for the vulnerable and de-politicising food relief
• Small business relief
• Improving shelter and housing through public/private partnership

Knott added that it was important for the City to ensure that the budget and proposed taxes would speak to the “post-Covid 19 reality”. She felt that the challenges residents had experienced in honouring their financial commitments to the City had not been fully taken into account.

“During these difficult times when we must collect every cent we can, it is inconceivable that the City is not doing everything in its power to make it easier for residents to pay their bills.”