Municipality engages community during IDP Roadshows

The IDP forms part of the public participation process that the municipality has to undertake 30 days before adopting its new budget or the upcoming financial year. It is at these public meetings that residents from all sectors can voice their opinions and concerns directly to the municipal leadership.

It was at one of these meetings, with the community, traditional leaders and the business community, that Newcastle Mayor Xolani Dube and Mcineka laid bare the bleak financial situation under which the municipality continues to operate.

It was also a chance to inform the public on how the municipality plans to turn the situation around.

“We are at a very crucial time. Everything is on the verge of collapsing so we need to come together collectively so we can come up with solutions and answers,” Mayor Dube told the meeting.

As was the case in the previous IDP, the municipality claimed that the last time the municipality had its own money was in 2016, and has been ‘operating from hand to mouth’ ever since.

“If we can put it rudely, we can say the municipality is bankrupt.”

That was the bleak assessment made by municipal manager, Zamani Mcineka, when he addressed the business community on the last day of the Mayoral Integrated Development Programmes (IDP) Road shows on April 30 at the Farmers Hall.

The precarious financial state has been blamed for the lack of service delivery in the town that has persisted due in part to various decisions taken by the previous administration’s actions and the huge debt owed by residents, particularly in Newcastle East (Madadeni and Osizweni).

“We are now sitting at R1,8 billion of uncollected debt which means if we can collect even one-quarter of that, it would do wonders to change the landscape of Newcastle, “ Mcineka said.

The lack of payment by residents from Newcastle East has prompted the municipality to look into taking over the electricity distributor’s license from Eskom.

“Some residents are taking advantage of the fact that the municipality is not the (power) distributor because they know the Newcastle municipality does not have leverage in terms of disconnections so they are not paying for their services.

“The areas with the least amount of payments are the areas that demand the most services,” he added,

According to the municipality, taking over the electricity distribution, and threatening disconnection of all services for non-payment, will force all residents to honour their debts.

Residents who spoke out during the roadshow expressed their increasing frustration with the water and sanitation issues that cause sewage to pour into streets and cause water cuts, with some areas going for weeks without water.

In response to public complaints, the municipality disclosed planned capital projects especially aimed at resolving Newcastle’s persistent problems with potholes, water quality, and sanitation.

“I already have the compliance order from the Department of Water and Sanitation in terms of sanitation infrastructure not functioning properly, especially in Madadeni and Osizweni,” declared Mcineka

Projects aimed at resolving water, sewerage and potholes issues include:

• Blaauwbosch bulk water -R8,7 million
• Construction and rehabilitation of JR2 road budgeted – R 10 million
• Vilioenpark bulk water and sanitation in Ward 25- R30 million.
• Upgrade of the Madadeni Wastewater Treatment plant in Ward 31- R1 million
• Upgrade and refurbishment of the bulk sewer pipeline from Siyahlala-la- 11 million
• The construction of a sports facility (former Montevista Casino) at R30,4 million, funded through MIG.
• Upgrade of the Voortrekker pump station, ward 3 and Ward 25 (and associated works to contain the sewer spillage in town)
• The construction of Madadeni tarred access roads in Wards 28 and 29 at R 13, 9 million
• The construction of Osizweni tarred roads in Wards 9, 10, and 32. At R30 million

Residents will have to contend with hikes in municipal tariffs from July 1.

• Electricity will be increased by 11,23% ( initially electricity was proposed to be increased by 18% but according to Mcineka, the municipality opted to decrease with the hope that the anticipated project to build a power plant to supply residents electricity at a lower rate, will be a success.)
• Water tariffs will go up by 6%
• Sanitation charges will increase by 6%
• Refuse collection by 6%
• Property rates will increase by 6%

Concluding the IDP, the municipality leadership urged all Newcastle residents ‘to work together to get the town back on its feet’.

The news provided to you in this link has been investigated and compiled by the editorial staff of the Newcastle Advertiser, a sold newspaper distributed in the Newcastle area. Please follow us on Youtube and feel free to like, comment, and subscribe. For more local news, visit our webpage, follow us on Facebook and Twitter, and request an add on our WhatsApp (082 874 5550).