ANC votes against budget
The ANC caucus of the Mossel Bay Town Council on Thursday, 31 May voted against the 2018/19 municipal budget for four specific reasons.
In a press statement, the chief whip of the ANC reacted to the municipal budget that was tabled in the monthly council meeting, as follows:
1. The pie chart of the spending patterns of council indicates that this budget has been compiled along clear political lines and doesn’t speak to the needs of the poorest of the poor.
This statement is borne out when looking at the estimates for wards one - R524 521, 2, two - R3 564 067, three R400 and twelve - R850 000. These are the wards the ANC is in control of.
This is a clear signal that the DAcontrolled council is only prepared to spend in DA controlled wards.
The ANC caucus is therefore of the opinion that this budget manifests the inability of the DA-led council to understand service delivery to its population of Mossel Bay in totality. All the lip service from the DA council on service delivery, clean audits and the Town of the Year negates the narrative that the DA cares for all its people. We would, however, like to thank the administration for the increase in estimates in wards nine R10 620 000 mil, ward 13 - R5 094 521 million and ward 14 - R4 685 811 million. It is the first time in many years that we see progress in these wards. We would like to emphasise that the DA have now clearly shown their hand as we march towards the 2019 elections.
They have acutely identified their strongholds and directed the spending patterns accordingly. We will talk truth to power and will inform the community of this mean, heartless action of the DA in Mossel Bay. The other wards allocations: ward 4 - R7.5 mil, ward 5 - R13.2 mil, ward six - R3.8 mil, ward 7 - R9.8 mil, ward 8 - R7.4 mil, and ward 11 - R1.5 mil.
2. On the tariff increase, we disagree with the 14% increase for refuse removal. The motivation that this hike will realise the contribution to the regional landfill site cannot be justified as we still need major clarity on this project.
We propose that council take out a loan to finance this project and not put this financial burden on the community.
3. The Mossel Bay Municipality failed to exercise their public participation legislative and administrative obligation.
No IDP meetings were held in wards 1 and 3.
The mayor said in his remarks when he tabled the budget that all 14 wards had IDP meetings were people were given opportunity to express their priorities. This is a misdirection of the truth.
The notion that these communities could give input into the IDP through other means is also not correct as this council created this stereotype of IDP meetings that is the platform to raise community priorities. Two wards were denied the opportunity of public meetings.
4. The spatial development plan is only on paper in line with national legislation. An attempt with the GAP housing project at Dias Beach is a move in the right direction, but more needs to be done to integrate communities. Today we live in two worlds: one of privilege and the other of impoverishment. The ANC cannot agree with the incredibly slow pace this council approaches integration and the empowerment of the previously disadvantaged communities.
In the mayor’s opening address of the ordinary council meeting he mentioned the many achievements of the DA in Mossel Bay. We would like to state very clearly that all housing projects are a national competency and that the national Department of Human Settlements releases funding to provinces, and provinces make available funding in turn to local governments.
The clinic in ward 11 in Asla Park was built by PetroSA, not the DA. This is part of the social responsibility programme of PetroSA.
Capital for the Thusong Centre is derived directly from the Department of Social Development, and not the DA.
The ANC expressed ourselves on the budget only, not on anything else.
The ANC caucus is therefore of the opinion that this budget manifests the inability of the DA-led council to understand service delivery to its population.