By Siyabonga Maphumulo
eThekwini Mayor Obed Mlaba has described the passing of the city’s R14.3-billion budget as the council’s heartfelt response to the needs of residents, ratepayers and the business community.
The budget, comprising R2.85-billion Capital and R11.18-billion Operating components, was welcomed at a packed Wiggin’s Hall in Umkhumbane.
The Democratic Alliance (DA), however, declined to vote in favour of the budget, citing “slipping standards, paltry policing and mediocre maintenance” as its reasons.
“The council is committed to levying affordable tariff increases and, in this regard, we have once again managed to achieve single-digit increases,” he said. Mlaba was referring to the projected 7.5% increase for the 2006/2007 financial year in water, rates and electricity tariffs.
Business people in the city can also heave a sigh of relief after the scrapping of business levies payable to the municipality.
A total of R19-million was allocated to the northern township of Phoenix to address housing projects (including upgrades) and electricity and engineering needs.
Residents had no major concerns about the budget itself, but raised concerns about unresponsive police, electricity faults and road safety in the area. They were advised to direct these complaints to their ward councillors.
At the Pinetown Civic Centre, residents from the greater Hillcrest wards voiced their concerns about the housing backlog and water accounts arrears.
Whitehead said R12-million had been set aside to speed up the housing projects in the Mpola area in Mariannhill. Residents from wards in the Chatsworth and surrounding areas said their main concerns were the building of ample houses for the homeless and more job-creation ventures.
A resident from Ward 72, Siyabonga Mthenga, said he was particularly interested in knowing how the budget would cater for unemployed residents like himself.
In response, Shunnon Tulsiram, who heads the city’s Markets Department, said the budget was linked to the city’s Integrated Development Plan (IDP) and was designed to contribute to economic development and job creation in the city.
“For every R1-million used in development projects, about 8.5 jobs are created,” he said.
Presentation for Seminar
