Many residents complain about what is wrong but very few take the time to do something about it. The only way that municipal problems go away is by budgeting and allocating resources to fix the problems.
In terms of section 25(1) of the Local Government Municipal Systems Act, Act No. 32 of 2000, a municipality must undertake developmentally oriented planning and budgeting. The budget must be inclusive of community needs contained in a single, inclusive Integrated Development Plan (IDP).
The IDP is a reflection of the community’s needs and wants and must form the basis on which municipal budgets are drafted. The Ekurhuleni IDP was drafted and adopted in consultation with the local community. It is however the local community’s responsibility to monitor the implementation of the IDP and ensure that resources are allocated to their community projects.
Residents can thus play an active role in ensuring their municipal problems are fixed through the allocation of resources on the budget. It is easy to understand why those who prepare the municipal budget every year might feel that it is a lot of work and not nearly as satisfying as accomplishing the projects identified in the budget.
The community is actually more empowered than the officials in the budget office. Hopefully residents will now recognise that a budget is a very helpful tool for our community. It is an essential part of getting things done in the best possible way.
When the IDP process is done properly it requires doing a good job of choosing what to do and having the budget to do it. Finally, it can be a valuable tool for keeping citizens involved and informed about what Ekurhuleni is doing to serve the local community.
Get involved through your ward committee or local councillor. Residents can ask for their ward-based budget and understand how much money will be available, where it comes from, and how it will be used.
The budget provides financial and operational direction and the input of residents is critical to facilitate decision-making and control the activities and expenditures of Ekurhuleni. A well-defined, sound budgeting process is an indispensable component of an economical and efficient local government.
Please participate in this process during 2014. E-mail your comments to me at Diamond.Neil@ekurhuleni.gov.za
