TZANEEN: GTM state of the municipal address tackles betterment of local communities
The mayor of the Greater Tzaneen Municipality spoke on improving roads and infrastructure, service delivery and enabling educational opportunities for children who face financial challenges as some of the main points of his state of municipal address.
The Greater Tzaneen Municipality hosted a State of Municipal Address (SOMA) last Friday and it highlighted the betterment of communities that fall under the municipality.
The SOMA was a formal function held in Mavele and it saw dignitaries from the Mopani district, such as the executive mayor, Pule Shayi and representatives of political parties within the municipal wards.
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Throughout the address, the mayor of GTM stressed in all fours the importance of youth empowerment, development within communities and the budget allocated for a few of the projects.
“The budget has been drafted according to legislation and the Budget Steering Committee believes that the 2019/2020 budget planning initiatives, along with the accompanying collective budget process resulted in not only a well balanced budget but also in one which is sustainable, equitable and representative of our communities.
“The projected overall expenditure envelope for the 2019/2020 Medium Term Revenue and Expenditure Framework (MTREF) amounts to R 1 000 000 385, whereas the operating revenue amounts to R 1 000 000 453. The annual budget is an average of six percent higher than the current adjusted expenditure,” stated Mayor, Maripe Mangena.
He further stated that the budget has been prepared within the context of reducing expenditure due to cash constraints and also taking into consideration the implications of the increasing global costs to ensure financial sustainability of the council.
“A strategic municipal debt book review and write-off undertaken in 2018/19/20 should also have a positive effect on increased collection rates and the implementation of new valuation roll should result in the revenue base increasing,” he exclaimed.
The mayor also spoke of expediting spending on capital projects funded by conditional grants while maintaining to deliver quality services, he added that a R90 000 000 loan taken by the municipality will go into regenerating the electricity network infrastructure and supply capacity.
The SOMA also addressed matters regarding planning and economic development within the wards that fall under the municipality.
These included the creation of jobs, wherein a total of 3439 jobs were created in the last financial year through the CWP and EPWP programmes, which will also continue working in the current financial year, the Agri Expo which took place last year, the Limpopo Business Registration Act (LIBRA), Tour de Limpopo, Human settlement with level 1 housing accreditation, the upgrading of Talana Hostel, municipal planning tribunal and the Nkownkowa industrial park.
He stated that 300 housing units were allocated to the budget this year, with three contractors being allocated 100 units each to undertake in areas that fall under the municipality.
Mayor Mangena stressed the issue of electrical services, making mention that the municipality has planned on purchasing more cars within the current financial year “to make electricity problems easier to attend to”.
He listed a number of challenges that have been faced by the electrical engineering department as vegetation control, ageing infrastructure, ageing fleet and insufficient customer communication.
“Various projects have been identified for implementation during the 2019/2020 financial year wherein the implementation of these projects will contribute to temporary job opportunities in the municipality and ease the burden of unemplyment on the shoulders of many residents of the Greater Tzaneen Municipality,” he explained.
Mangena also made mention of the civil engineering services, stating that the municipality predominantly depends on the Municipal Infrastructure Grant (MIG) to fund the implementation of civil engineering related infrastructure projects, adding that MIG has allocated R94 263 000 for the current financial year to these projects.
The projects cover the upgrading of streets from gravel to surfacing and storm water drainage system, construction of a taxi rank to Lenyenye and the erection of Apollo lights in Dan village.
Before ending off his speech, the mayor spoke of an initiative that sets out to help learners further their education.
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“We have budgeted R2 000 000 to help with university funding for recently graduated matriculates. R1 000 000 will come from GTM and the other R1 000 000 will come from the Mopani District Municipality. We are embarking on this initiative as we saw the results after having helped 92 learners last year with their tertiary education. These funds will be able to assist the learners get into university and colleges while they wait on bursaries and other funds to step in and take over their schooling fees,” exclaimed the mayor.
His address was met with some agreement and some unpleasant comment from the council of political representatives that attended the SOMA, however the commentary on empty promises were dismissed and chair at the address, with the majority stating that time will tell if and when the projects mentioned by the mayor will be successfully completed.
