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New budget to expand Mogale's mission and vision
14 June 2006 By Anish Abraham MOGALE CITY'S executive mayor, Koketso Seerane, unveiled a R772-million budget for the 2006/7 financial year in a bid to expand and make infrastructure more efficient. The total operating budget for the upcoming financial year is set at R690-million, including a R7-million contribution to the Capital Replacement Reserve, while the capital expenditure budget is set at R82-million. Seerane, who delivered his budget to the council at the end of May, called on officials to be steadfast in their electorate work, and urged them to keep in touch with people and their environments by taking part in city-wide tours. "Go to the squatter camps, enter the rooms and see how they live, talk to them. Also explain to them, as feedback, what their government is doing to improve their lives," he urged. Seerane said Mogale City's first five-year Integrated Development Plan was developed in close partnership with the West Rand District Municipality as well as with provincial government departments. Using a joint review of the municipality's challenges and achievements over the last five years as reference, the City leadership mapped out a strategy to guide service delivery over the next five-year period.Highlights of Mogale City's five-year plan:
Accelerated service delivery Focus on provision of housing, security of tenure, roads, free basic services, electricity, refuse removal and water and sanitation. "We cannot continue to have a situation where there are people for who water and electricity are rare scarce luxuries," said Seerane. Infrastructure development/maintenance and repairs Particular reference to improvements in roads, electricity and water and sanitation. Focus will be on repairs, maintenance and selective upgrading of existing infrastructure, as well as creation of new infrastructure. Rural development Establishment of economically viable and sustainable settlements for dispossessed and landless people. Local economic development Proposal to accelerate the pace of local economic development through incentives and initiatives at the Munsieville CBD, Leratong Intersection, Muldersdrift CBD, Magaliesburg Precinct, Hekpoort Fresh Produce Market, the Itembalethu and Rietfontein rural settlements as well as at the Coronation Park/Bob van Reenen precinct. Seerane added that Mogale City was extremely fortunate to have been chosen as host to South African glamour club, Kaizer Chiefs, and that an amount of R800-million would be invested in the city over the next three years. "This is an investment that is going to change the face of the city forever. I want to urge all residents of the city, Madam Speaker, to put their support behind this initiative," he pleaded. Economic Growth and Skills Development In doing its bit for job creation, the municipality will provide support for small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs), particularly among women and youth, while turning Mogale City into a desirable location to invest in. Social security and development In the best interests of skills development, social well-being and youth development, the municipality is to set up a Youth Unit, complete with support staff, which will operate from within the Office of the Executive Mayor. For its efforts in the fight against HIV/Aids, the municipality has been engaged in home-based care programmes, supplying food parcels to HIV/Aids orphans and programmes providing support to those infected by opportunistic diseases. "We agree, in line with national and provincial government policy, that our approach must be comprehensive and holistic, and not just single out one form of intervention and present that as the answer," explained Seerane. Democracy and good governance Community and stakeholder participation forms a key part of implementing the City's plans. Politicians and administrators have to conduct themselves in a manner that is responsible and accountable. Public participation Mogale City aims to ensures the notion of democracy is extended through the ward committee system. Community policing forums and youth forms will enable it to understand the needs of residents better. Seerane said he had also started writing a monthly column in the Mogale Sun and Krugersdorp News, enabling readers to raise their concerns with the municipality directly. Inter-governmental relations
In its efforts to undo apartheid era spatial planning and better integrate Gauteng's urban settlements, the municipality will work closely with the West Rand District Municipality, as well as with the provincial government to realise the vision of a globally competitive City Region.
Capital expenditure
The capital expenditure budget of R82-million will be distributed as follows: Infrastructure with R31-million (37%), Water and Sanitation with R28-million (35%), Housing Services with R8,7-million (10%), Integrated Environmental Management with R5,5-million (7%), Community Services with R4,6-million (6%) and other directorates the remaining R3,7-million (5%).
Key projects
Unpacking the capital expenditure budget, Seerane gave brief details on key projects.
Infrastructure projects include the enhancement and upgrading of low-voltage infrastructure, development and upgrading of Muldersdrift electricity supply, upgrading of Chamdor and Factoria supply, upgrading and replacement of ageing traffic lights, refurbishment of old substations, and providing and improving roads and stormwater infrastructure in Muldersdrift, Magaliesburg, Hekpoort, Tarlton, Kagiso and Lusaka.
Among the Water and Sanitation projects are refurbishment of the Percy Stewart Water Care Works, Lusaka pump station development, rural water and sanitation, water demand management, prepaid water meters and the Muldersdrift reservoir and outfall sewer.
Seerane said that Mogale City, in partnership with the Gauteng department of housing would provide a total of 1500 houses in areas like Kagiso, Rietvallei and Sinqobile.
The municipality will also focus on the renewal of the Munsieville area through improving living conditions in the Horse Shoe area, converting the Munsieville hostel, eradicating the informal settlement of Pango and developing the Commando land into a social housing initiative.
"We will be hard at work in partnership with the financial service institutions such as ABSA Bank and the Gauteng Department of Housing in identifying opportunities that will enable the development of integrated and sustainable human settlements such as that of the Kagiso-Azaadville node," he said.
The Integrated Environmental Management directorate is continuing to upgrade the Luipaardsvlei Landfill Site to meet with legislative requirements of the West Rand District. It has also received verbal agreement for funding of the Hekpoort Cemetery from the district municipality.
Community Services is currently involved in upgrading sports complexes in Kagiso Extension 13, Rietvallei 2 & 3, Johanna Botha and Azaadville, while it is also seeking addition funding from the Municipal Infrastructure Grant in the 2006/7 financial year to fast-track the Hekpoort and Munsieville sports complexes.
"Other capital projects include the development of precinct plans, the establishment of Leratong township, a revenue enhancement project and enhancing Information Technology, information management and electronic communications, amongst others," said Seerane.
The sources of funding for capital projects are: national government grants (52%), council funds - mostly proceeds of the sale of land (33%), grants from provincial government - mostly for housing projects (13%) and from public contribution (3%).
Operating budget
Mogale City has an operating budget of R690-million, including a R7-million contribution to the Capital Replacement Reserves. "The budget is R50-million or 7.7% above the 2005/06 Adjustments budget approved by Council on April 26, 2006," he explained.
Of the above amount, Infrastructure Services receives R252-million (36%), Water and Sanitation gets R159-million (23%), Integrated Environmental Management with R74-million (11%), Community Services with R52-million (8%), Finance with R25-million (4%), Rural Development Tourism and LED with R24-million (3%), Housing with R17-million (2%) and; Municipal Management, Human Resources and Corporate Services with R15-million (2%).
Revenue and new tariffs
Sources for funding the operating budget, as well as capital budget through the Capital Replacement Reserve, are: electricity charges (R216-million or 31%), water and sanitation charges (R170-million or 26%), assessment rates (R119-million or 17%), government grants and subsidies (R76-million or 11%), refuse removal charges (R42-million or 6%), other income (R37-million or 5%) and other service charges (R29-million or 4%).
Seerane admitted that there were delays in rolling out certain projects, mainly due to strict credit control, which, though necessary, caused problems when there were cash flow problems.
"Where funding sources were readily available, Mogale City has shown its ability to deliver with speed. This is especially true with MIG (Municipal Infrastructure Grant) funded projects as well as Community Services projects," he said.
To ensure best results from its projects, Seerane said a strong partnership was needed between the municipality and communities. He proposed that payment levels be increased while registering indigent residents for subsidies, dealing decisively with illegal electricity and water connections and uniting against theft and vandalism of infrastructure.
"New methods of monitoring budget implementation are also being developed in order to involve Portfolios and Ward Committees more in this critical process and to ensure speedy delivery of projects," he announced.
One such method, to be introduced from the next budgetary cycle, is a Budget Tips campaign, where comments can be forwarded to the executive mayor as well as the mayoral committee member responsible for finance.
Seerane said that as servants of the residents of Mogale City, officials had the responsibility to ensure an improvement in the lives of the people. For example, he said environments like the 'sub-human conditions' in which people lived near the council offices should not be allowed.
"We would have failed if we do not ensure that come 2011, the people of this city at least enjoy all the basic services that are due to them, irrespective of their social and economic standing. This is something we have to achieve. This is what humanity dictates," he concluded.
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Mayor Calvin Koketso Seerane
New tariffs In his 2006/7 budget address, Mogale City executive mayor Koketso Seerane, announced new tariffs, which would come into effect from 1 July 2006.06.14 Related stories Budget Speech Service delivery tops mayor's agenda New councillors trained in their duties New mayoral committee named Seerane takes up mayoral hotseat |
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