OPPOSITION parties failed to agree to an adjusted R11-million budget for various health projects at a meeting of eThekwini council’s Executive Committee on Tuesday.
The city of Durban wanted authority to add R11 220 000 to the health unit for the completion of projects that required additional financial assistance and those not budgeted for in the 2019/20 financial year.
According to the report tabled before Exco, the city plans to do this by re-prioritising used funds from the unit.
This raised a point of contention from Nicole Graham, Democratic Alliance eThekwini caucus leader.
Graham argued that there was little detail in the budget report as it did not explain which projects the money was being reprioritised from, but only where the money was going.
“The kinds of things the money is now going to be used for seems suspiciously like projects you can use budget on in a very short space of time to make it look like you were actually doing something,” she said.
ALSO READ: TAKE NOTE: Government announces National Minimum Wage
Sipho Kaunda, ANC councillor said the money had to be reprioritised as it was “declared savings.”
Graham responded saying the savings materialised from the city not being able to complete seven clinic upgrading projects it had identified.
In total there are 48 projects listed on the report which include fencing for the La Lucia clinic, a guard house for the Shallcross clinic, hand rails, banners and burglar guards at the Pinetown clinic.
The motion was agreed to by the majority with the DA voting against it.
Mayor Mxolisi Kaunda said he did not want the repriorisation of funds to become a culture of the city as it was unsustainable.
“We as the executive committee must create a vibrant oversight to ensure these mistakes are not creating themselves,” he said.
Last month the city surrendered R309-million back to national treasury after failing to spend it on key projects.
Do you want to receive news alerts via Telegram? Send us a message (not an sms) with your name and surname to 060 532 5535.
You can also join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
PLEASE NOTE: If you have signed up for our news alerts you need to save the Berea Mail Telegram number as a contact to your phone, otherwise you will not receive our alerts
Here’s where you can download Telegram on Android or Apple.
