Bushbuckridge mayor discusses 2023/24 budget during Soma

Bushbuckridge Local Municipality’s (BLM) mayor, Sylvia Nxumalo, said R256m had been allocated to provide water to various areas as part of the municipality’s annual budget of R2b for the 2023/24 financial year.

Nxumalo shared this during the State of the Municipal Address on July 12, and said 24 additional boreholes had been drilled to augment the current water supply.

During her speech, she said that as part of its water conservation and demand management mandate, the municipality had replaced 2.5km of asbestos pipes with PVC pipes, sealed 39 leaking reservoirs in various areas and installed 42 reservoir level indicators, as well as pressure reducing valves.

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Nxumalo further said the BLM has set aside R186m for the building of new roads and bridges. More than 10 bridges will be repaired and gravel roads serviced. She confirmed that R43m was received from the National Disaster Management Centre (NDMC) to repair flood-damaged roads and bridges.

“We have already started repairing some of the flood-damaged infrastructure and with the grant from the NDMC, we will able to speed up the process.”

With regard to community services, the BLM is currently renovating the new Thulamahashe Stadium and is in the process of constructing phase 3 of the Acornhoek sport facility. A consulting company has already been appointed to design the Casteel and Dwarsloop sport facilities. Furthermore, the Ximhungwe taxi rank will be constructed and a design consultant has also been appointed to affect this. “It is important to indicate that we are working well with the taxi operators through our Public Transport Forum,” the mayor said.

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Nxumalo also addressed the high unemployment, illiteracy and abuse of alcohol and other substances among the youth. “We are all aware that the high unemployment rate among our youth is a ticking time bomb that requires the attention of all. We need to develop intervention programmes that will actively encourage youth participation in the service delivery projects of the municipality. We are currently finalising one, The Unemployed Incubator Empowerment Programme, to maximise efforts in engaging youth participation in municipal service delivery strategies.”

The mayor discussed gender-based violence, femicide and contact crimes in general, saying it remains a cause for concern and called it ‘unacceptable and alarming issues within the country, with Bushbuckridge not immune.’ The municipality has developed various interventions and programmes aimed at raising awareness in communities of the devastation of this societal illness.