VEREENIGING. – The regional chairperson of the South African National Civic Organisation (SANCO) Mlungisi Hlongwane said the economic status of the region is declining dramatically because municipalities are struggling with revenues. Speaking after the recent Sedibeng Municipality’s State of the District Address (SODA) led by Executive Mayor Busi Modisakeng, Hlongwane said the region may have done extremely well to achieve an unqualified audit report.

The Mega Catalysts Project establishment of the Vaal River City and Agric-Pol, Sedibeng, will be the food basket of the province. The population of the province has grown in the last 15 years. In the next 15 years the number will double to 25 million: “We must be prepared to absorb unemployed people that will be moving towards the pinnacles of urbanisation that is Gauteng. “Our municipalities are struggling economically, they do not have positive revenue generation.

“We need to mobilise the masses to support the government and expect the same from the government. As Sanco, we cannot expect people to pay for services if they do not have money and are unemployed.

“The violence in the region is caused by unemployed people with idle minds. Young people end up abusing drugs and alcohol. “We need three local municipalities for effective public participation to map out the vision of going forward.

“We need to pull our minds together including stakeholders to protect the future of the region. Not only government or political parties.

“As Sanco we support the concept of the metro. The establishment of the metro for us first begging with the advantages of how institutionally we can succeed to say there’s enough resources.

“The current duplication of four mayors, municipal managers, speakers is costing the region. We must unlock more of the capital budget. The more united we are, the easier it will be to plan ahead. Four different plans of the municipalities are time consuming,” he concluded.

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