Ward 12 and 14 residents in eMbalenhle stopped an Integrated Development Plan and draft budget consultation meeting at the south hall in Ext 18, eMbalenhle on Wednesday, May 5.
When the MMC for community services in Govan Mbeki Municipality, Oupa Sibanyoni, presented the draft budget, residents stopped him and asked for the officials who compiled the documents.
Sibanyoni said he was there to present the draft budget to the community and was surprised that the officials who were deployed with them as councillors were not present.
Ward councillor Jabu Zwane and PR councillor Anita Mkhwebane also raised their disappointment in the absence of the municipal officials and agreed with the community that officials were supposed to attend and respond to the community’s questions.
The meeting was adjourned and the community demanded that it must be reconvened once the responsible officials are available.
The 2022/2023 Medium-term Revenue and Expenditure Framework (MTREF) will be considered for council approval in May 2023 after taking into account the outcome of public consultations.
According to the municipality’s 2022/2023 tabled draft budget, tariffs adjustments are outlined as follows: electricity increases by 7.4% as per the NERSA guidelines, water and sanitation by 8.8% as per the Rand Water notice, Miscellaneous by 4.8 % as per consumer price index, Waste Management/ Waste removal by 4.8% as per the consumer price index, Property rates by 4.8% as per the consumer price index and Sceptic tanks 8.8% as per the Rand Water notice.
According to the municipality, the property rates for 2022/2023 will be on the market value of the property that is within the municipal jurisdiction as appearing on the valuation roll.
The properties with a value less than R60 000 will not be charged property rate.
The 2022/2023 draft budget comprises R2,7b for operating expenditure and R149m for capital investment programs and the total operating income budget is R2,8b resulting in a surplus of R53,4m.
According to the municipality, the 2022 budget is R2,5b and R2,8b for 2023.
Before the community stopped the meeting, Sibanyoni said the community should be aware that the draft budget on which the municipality is conducting consultations, is not the money that is in the municipal coffers, but the money that is owed by the community to the municipality for services rendered.
