EMLM under-collection of concern

Enoch Mgijima Local Municipality chief financial officer Gcobani Mashiyi has, in presenting the mayor’s quarterly budget monitoring report last Friday, revealed the municipality had under-collected by

R47.6m in the quarter ending September 30.

The planned property rates to be collected were

R19.3m and the municipality only managed to collect

R12.8m.

The municipality had also planned to collect

R64.9m for electricity tariffs, but only recovered

R52.6m.

Mashiyi said the under-collection of

R47.56m from all municipal sources of revenue was in contrast to the planned collection of R195,1m. Instead, only

R147,5m had been collected.

“There are those who owe R21m for rates and services who still need to make payment arrangements, but have not done so. There is, however, an improvement in the rentals and fines collection which shows an over-collection on projected amounts of 12% and 14% respectively.”

UDM councillor Mthuthuzeli Hokolo added that councillors who lived in municipal properties also needed to be brought to book and needed to make payment arrangements for money to be deducted from their salaries.

ANC councillor Phaphama Madubedube said government departments who owed the municipality millions, needed to be given three months to make payment or have their assets attached.

DA councillor Malibongwe Xhelisilo said the report was misleading and that Mashiyi would soon lose his job due to people saying he had misled council while he was actually only presenting the report which should have been tabled by executive mayor Sisisi Tolashe.

He called for the mayor’s resignation due to her failing to do her job.

ANC councillor Noluthando Nqabisa said the report must be accepted as it was and amended later.

“We must write to the treasury department and inform them how the delay of the equitable share payment impacted the municipality negatively. No municipality can survive without its grant funding and still be expected to deliver services as usual.”

The appointed administrator, Buyo Mlokothi, said about four letters had been written to the National Treasury about the grant status and how it had negatively affected the municipality.

Tolashe said councillors needed to stand together and understand that the Eskom debt and invocation of section 139 had taken its toll on the municipality.

“We need to have a decisive debate and come up with solutions on how the municipality can be saved from its troubles.”