COVID-19 has taken centre stage, but the municipality’s wheels must keep turning and money is needed to do just that.

From May 4 to May 11 the executive mayor of Emalahleni, Cllr Linah Malatjie hosted an outreach whereby she highlighted the Integrated Development Plan draft for the next financial year.

Besides the proposed operational and capital projects, the man on the streets wants to know by how much service tariffs by the municipality are going to increase.

Property rates will increase by 4.9%.

This will be levied on the total market value of the property in accordance with the Property Rates Policy.

The first R50 000 of the market value of residential properties will be exempted from property rates and an additional 35% discount on the value of the property.

Electricity will increase by 8.1% as soon as NERSA gives the go-ahead.

Incline block tariffs will be introduced and this means the more you use, the more you will be charged.

Water, sanitation, and refuse will cost 4.9% more. A water conservation fee on residential use will be introduced to encourage residents to save water.

This fee will be implemented on an incremental block tariff basis. Again the more you use, the more you will pay per kilolitre.

The fee will be triggered when a household uses 31kl or more.

“This budget is put together while taking into consideration the impact of COVID-19 on our municipal socio-economic profile,” said municipal spokesperson Mr Lebo Mofokeng.

Mofokeng said the challenges the financial team mulled over when they drafted the budget includes the growing unemployment rate, the impact of COVID-19 on businesses, the exponential population growth against the low economic growth, service delivery backlog, the ageing infrastructure, and high distribution losses, vandalism and theft of municipal assets and the low payment rate.

The proposed capital budget is R249.4mil. This budget is set aside to fix municipal assets and infrastructure.

Three water projects were identified.

Firstly the whole of Emalahleni will see pressure management devices installed at a cost of R4 000 000. This will be made possible by the municipality’s own funding.

Through the municipal infrastructure grant (MIG) of R10 000 000, the construction of engineering services for Klarinet and Siyanqoba phase two link and bulk water supply lines are planned.

For Ext 8, Del Judor, and Reyno Ridge there is also some good news as the bulk line from reservoir B to reservoir C will be replaced at a cost of R30 000 000.

This will be funded by the water service infrastructure grant (WSIG).

The sanitation projects will all be funded by MIG. These projects are the upgrading of Klipspruit Waste Water Treatment Works and New Ferrobank Outfall Sewer Pipeline, the construction of engineering services phase two link and bulk sanitation at Klarinet, the upgrading of Ferrobank Sewerage Treatment Works and Naauwpoort Waste Water Treatment Works.

On the electrical side, the Department of Energy came on board and will be electrifying stands in Siyanqoba, Empumelelweni, Hlanikahle, Phola, and Thubelihle.

The municipality, through the MIG, will be installing community lighting infrastructure throughout all the wards.

Only three projects have been dotted down for roads and stormwater.

Thubelihle will benefit as roads and stormwater will be constructed in Ext 5. Internal roads will be constructed in Empumelelweni and Mathews Phosa and Collins Avenue will be rehabilitated and upgraded.

This budget will be tabled at the council on Thursday, May 28.