‘NEW DEAL’ FOR CITY
A “NEW deal” for Kimberley – focusing on cleanliness, good infrastructure, safety and security, and the creation of jobs – is the earmark of the city’s five-year Integrated Development Plan which is due for adoption by the Sol Plaatje City Council.
The 2017/2022 Integrated Development Plan (IDP) is aimed at providing strategic direction and operational planning for the city for the next term of office and follows several consultative forums and workshops held earlier this year.
The vision of the 2017/2022 IDP is “Towards and Leading and Modern City” and strategic focus and direction is to transform the city spatially, support inclusive economic growth, provide services to all and to govern well.
In a report on the IDP prepared for today’s council meeting, it was pointed out that the key performance areas remain local economic development, access to basic services and infrastructure development, sound and sustainable financial management, institutional development and capacity building and good governance and public participation.
“With that in mind, the ‘new deal’ for the Sol Plaatje Municipality would be: clean city; city that attracts investment, manufacturers and tourists; city with good infrastructure; safe and secure city – a city that cares; city where there is security – jobs, shelter; a city that facilitates the creation of jobs; city that houses people; city with youth involved productively; city that harnesses integrated development; city that harnesses integrated development; city that facilitates skills development; city that invests in public participation and is connected with the people; city that works together; and a city with good IGR (inter-governmental relations) harnessed to build integrated human settlements.”
Various task teams were established by the municipality to shape the discussions on the IDP and to attend to its implementation. These included a space-economic task team, a housing and infrastructure team, and community and social development task team, a financial task team and a governance task team.
A summary of the outcomes indicated that all participants saw a need to work in an integrated manner, while the need to stimulate the economy was highlighted, and communication and social dialogue with stakeholders was emphasised.
The city council is also set to approve the service delivery and budget implementation plan 2017/18, which is the first one for the IDP covering the next five years.
The total budgeted revenue for the coming financial year is R1.9 billion.
This includes R511.6 million from property rates, R711 million from electricity services revenue, R264 million from water charges, R59 million from sanitation, R44 million from refuse charges, R11 million from the rental of facilities and equipment, R22 million from fines, penalties and forfeits and R173 million from transfers and subsidies.
The capital project schedule for 2017/18 includes R7 million for the erection of the Nelson Mandela Statue, R4 million for taxi lay byes, R23.5 million for transport links, R2 million for township development, R20 million for the Ritchie Bulk Supply, R25 million for the Gogga Pump Station civil works, R24 million for the Carters Glen/ Galeshewe transformer, R5.8 million for Ivory Park electrification, R1.2 million for the Roodepan switch house, R13.8 million for Lerato Park water, R10.7 million for Lerato Park sewerage, R8.3 million for the resealing of roads, R7 million for roads and stormwater in Galeshewe, R6 million for roads and stormwater in Roodepan, R3 million for water meter replacement, R22 million for the Riverton Pump Station, R3 million for the replacement of prepaid meters, R6 million for the replacement of fleet, R7 million for the Herlear 11KV circuit breaker and R8 million for the replacement of the transformer in Riverton.
Two million rand will be spent on computer equipment, R2 million on the upgrading of monuments, R2 million on upgrading the Galeshewe Stadium, R2 million on the upgrading of the ablutions at the De Beers Stadium and R2.8 million on the refurbishment of the Florianville swimming pool.
The total capital budget is R232 million. In the IDP it was pointed out that the provision of basic municipal services to households was being threatened by dilapidating infrastructure which requires huge investments to replace (water and sanitation, it was stated, requires about R640 million combined, while roads requires more than R300 million).