Joburg budget impasse: Cogta steps in
City’s move to set aside funds for 2020/21 hit snags twice as ANC-led coalition failed to get all parties on board
THE DA has thrown its full weight behind Joburg’s ANC-led administration after it failed twice this week to adopt a budget as the Gauteng government is forced to intervene.
Yesterday, Gauteng Co-operative Governance Affairs (Cogta) MEC Lebogang Maile’s office confirmed that it would reveal its plans for the city today after it failed to adopt a budget and approve other revenue-raising measures before the start of the 2020/21 financial year, as required by the Municipal Finance Management Act.
The financial year is in its third day, and council speaker Nonceba Molwele said yesterday that mayor Geoff Makhubo “was obliged” to approach Maile for the provincial executive to intervene in Joburg’s affairs, in line with Section 139(4) of the constitution.
Section 139(4) allows provincial governments to intervene to ensure that municipality adopts a budget and tariff adjustments after the start of a financial year.
Maile’s spokesperson Castro Ngobese said yesterday that the MEC’s office would reveal how it would address the City of Joburg’s failures.
But DA caucus spokesperson Delu Cele said the party welcomed the steps taken by Makhubo since the failure to pass the budget, saying the opposition was consulted throughout by the mayor.
However, EFF Joburg leader Musa Novela said his party had not been consulted regarding both of this week’s budget postponements, and found out in midnight emails from the speaker’s office that there wouldn’t be sittings.
Novela said EFF had long warned Makhubo that he would fail to govern because the ANC did not have an outright majority in the city.
The ANC-led coalition only has 136 of the 270-seat council, and would need an outright majority to pass the budget.
“That is why they are scared to even come and table the budget. The provincial government has to come in and ensure that there is a temporary budget and an administrator to run this municipality,” Novela said.
Mlimandlela Ndamase, the mayor’s spokesperson, said that Makhubo had been in consultation with all political parties ahead of the decision to postpone the sittings this week.
“The mayor had reached out to the EFF as well. However, that meeting had not taken place by the time of cancellation of the meeting by the speaker,” said Ndamase.
Meanwhile, the speaker said that the legislature would ensure the city continued to operate.
“I am mindful of the concerns among the residents of our city that the current state has caused, and would like to assure everyone that everything within the ambit of the law is to be done to address the situation.
“Further information on this matter will be shared with the residents and members of the media once a response is received from the MEC of Cogta and the provincial government,” Molwele said.