Polokwane in major metro status drive
Polokwane municipality has laid out its ambitions to be Limpopo’s first metropolitan municipality.
The municipality has passed a budget of R5.1billion for the 2022/23 financial year to improve its status to metropolitan grading.
This was confirmed by John Mpe, the municipality’s executive mayor, who said the budget will increase to about R6-billion in the next two years.
Mpe, who is premier Stan Mathabatha’s ally, said the latest development puts Polokwane on the right developmental course because this financial year, Polokwane has registered more than R1.7-billion in revenue collection (excluding VAT refunds from the South Africa Revenue Service).
This is about R250-million short of the R2-billion threshold for grade 6 cities that are part of the metropolitan municipalities.
“We believe that this is within reach and it is possible that we can meet this objective. We will ensure zero tolerance for any wastage of funds and huge escalations in prices when it is government that procures.
“We will also show zero tolerance to those who unethically and illegally tamper with their meters and cause the loss of much-needed municipal revenue that is needed to meet our service delivery objectives,” Mpe added.
South Africa currently has eight metropolitan areas. Two are in Eastern Cape: Buffalo City and Nelson Mandela metropolitan municipality.
Gauteng, the country’s economic hub, has three metropolitan areas: Ekurhuleni, city of Johannesburg and the city of Tshwane.
There is also the city of Cape Town in the Western Cape, ethekwini in Kwazulu-natal and Mangaung municipality in the Free State.
Mpe further said about R900-million, or 20% of the 2022/23 financial year’s budget, is earmarked for capital projects, with 88% of the capital budget allocated to roads, water and sanitation, and energy services.
“This is to ensure that our infrastructure is strengthened in order to deliver the basic services the city requires for growth and improving the lives of our citizens,” said the mayor.