Over R200 million not spent

EKURHULENI – The Ekurhuleni Metro Municipality has failed to spend over R200 million allocated for various services

The Ekurhuleni Council meeting took place on May 22, at the Ekuruleni Metropolitan Municipality New Council Chambers in Germiston.

One of the concerns voiced within the meeting was the lack of service delivery and the grants that are paid back to Provincial Government.

There are a total of 14 grants that have not been used to the full extent. Money set aside for services such as the development of a Public Transport System, books for libraries, three different grants focused on housing, and an HIV grant to only name a few.

A total of R232 406 959 has not been spent, and R14.1 million  has not been rolled over for the next financial year.

According to Neil Diamond, who is the chairperson for the portfolio of finance, grants are being paid back to the Provincial Government by Ekurhuleni, and this shows that services are not being delivered by the Ekurhuleni Metro Municipality. ANC representatives are not satisfied with the service delivery and that these grants are being paid back and not used properly. They are asking for monitoring mechanisms to be put in place. This will allow for early warning signs to be identified and dealt with in a proper way.

Estelle Visser and Bruna Haipel commented that the DA has been raising concerns about service delivery for 14 years. “By agreeing, they (ANC) are actually agreeing that they placed the wrong people in service, in many cases. There are a few exceptions to this where those appointed actually do their work,” Estelle Visser commented on the way the ANC approached this matter in the Council Meeting.

“They (the council) are echoing what the DA has said all along,” Bruna Haipel.

With the financial year close to an end The Alberton RECORD will keep readers updated on the progress of service delivery.