A reading of the proposed 2025/26 IDP for Umdoni Municipality leaves one feeling drowned in irrelevant details (250 pages), cut and pasted for any source that came to hand. What is missing is a clearly laid out situational analysis of the services that government currently renders and where they fall short of the fundamental needs of the affected communities.
Any desire on the part of residents and interested parties, to learn what will be provided, where it will be provided, when it will be provided and how it will be funded, is not available. It fails in its most basic requirement and that is to provide a basis for budgeting in each year of its five year span. It lacks a coherent approach to promoting economic growth and the urgent need to generate job opportunities for the growing unemployment numbers, especially among young people. Essentially, it lacks vision and strategic direction that will maintain existing infrastructure, upgrade and extend services to meet the needs of growing settlements, both formal and informal.
The lack of credibility and practical value in the document reflects the approach of its government leadership. An approach that has precipitated serious decay in its economic centres, undermined the value in residential property and actively sought to drive division through the application of legislation on an area-based model, akin to the Group Areas Act.
What Umdoni needs is a plan that is founded on the premise that we are one municipality and citizenry, made up of multiple communities and areas, with an interdependence that demands planning that provides opportunity, growth and protection to all. A practical instrument that sets a basis for future budgeting and development, rather than a loose conglomeration of questionable statistics, well-meaning phrases and undefined targets.
The proposed 2025/26 Budget is in no way based on any substantial data provided in the IDP because it does not exist. It is, however, an obvious attempt to fleece ratepayers to fund the ANC’s campaign plan to get more votes in the next election. This has been their pattern for the past 25 years, with approximately 20% (or less) of the area paying rates and subjected to national legislation, by-laws and service fees, while the other 80% are not valued for rates and are not subjected to legislative compliance.
It is the ANC’s clear intention to sustain a divide between areas in which the municipality applies property taxes to sustain its income, and areas deliberately excluded from property taxes. They refer to it as an ‘Urba vs Rural divide’ with the emphasis on ‘divide’ or ‘our people vs those who don’t for us’. What it really is, is a modern form of ‘group areas’ designed to sustain the political status quo.
An analysis of the Capital Budget reveals the capital spend on roads and halls at R36.462m without one cent spent in the ratepaying wards of 7, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15. In the next two years it proposes a further R80m with nothing in the ratepaying wards. The same spend in the past four years in the non-ratepaying wards has been R38.253m, R47.431m, R39.635m, R51.706m.
This pattern is also evident in the proposed Operating Budget of R407 483m. I estimate about 75% of the revenue is attributable to the ratepaying areas with a direct 40% in rates. The rates revenue has grown by 32% over the past four years.
The expenditure at R416 802m includes repairs and maintenance at a mere R3.95m for unspecified roads, R2.5m for unspecified streetlights and R28m for unspecified unknown. It is useful for the leadership to have unspecified amounts in the budget for it to be used at will.
What is also evident from the above is that there is a deficit of R9.32m despite intentions to take R22.256m out of reserves to reduce the deficit from R31.576m. It makes a mockery of the mayor’s report in which she alleges that the deficit is inherited from previous years (physically impossible), and the budget is in the interests of citizens and financial viability. The claim that it will be eliminated in future years is equally dishonest. The projected deficits in the next two years are R13.743m and R13.436m.
The proposed budget seeks to increase rates and tariffs by 5% and the refuse fees by 100% (despite that we go for months without the service). It includes high contracting costs (to maintain the patronage network) and makes no attempt to fix the serious decay arising from 25 years of neglect. What is needed is a fresh approach that looks after the goose that lays the golden eggs, that finds ways to generate more revenue, ends the looting practices and treats all residents with fairness and respect.
The beach facilities at Scottburgh, Park Rynie, Ifafa and Mtwalume should be concessioned with long term leases that enable upgrades at no cost to ratepayers and to generate new business opportunities. The Pennington kiosk/beach demonstrates how effective this can be. The excessive costs on security at R19.5m must be reviewed and rationalised.
The landfill operator is budgeted at R13.2m to keep it in a dysfunctional state. It can be operated in-house at a fraction of the price. The use of consultants can be reduced from R13.774m by insisting departmental heads do the professional work they are employed for. Productivity and performance management using ward committees for monitoring will lower the excessive contracting costs of R64.606m.
Providing support to schools for sports facilities is more effective than building sports facilities that are not used and are ultimately vandalised. Maintaining and upgrading infrastructure in industrial zones, CBDs and tourist spaces will increase economic activity. Maintaining infrastructure in residential zones will protect property values, improve quality of life and foster goodwill within those communities. Upgrading informal settlements under partnership with the residents will improve their standards, dignity and quality of life.
Umdoni needs an IDP with vision and holistic planning. One that gives practical dimensions to budgets that will grow the economy, create jobs and improve lifestyles. The DA has achieved this in uMngeni Municipality under the inspired leadership of Chris Pappas. Umdoni has the potential to achieve similar development and growth.
Edwin Baptie: MP
DA Constituency Head: UGU North
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