Lolo Madonsela
Residents of AbaQulusi have welcomed the Integrated Development Plan (IDP), commenting the municipality ‘is on the right track’.
The IDP report was delivered to the community last Wednesday at Cecil Emmet Hall, by Acting Mayor, Mncedisi Maphisa.
According to the report, the 2019/20 Budget on current MIG projects showed the upgrade of the Cecil Emmet Hall was completed (budgeted amount: R598 815, 39), as was phase one of the Mpongoza access road and bridge (budgeted amount: R165 248, 50, spent: R92 248, 50).
Another project to be completed is phase one of electrification of Ward 7, with a total budget of R1 881 000 (spent: R1 636 802, 49).
Projects still in the construction phase are the Louwsburg Taxi Rank (budgeted amount: R4 728 766, 36), Ncengumusa Creche in Ward 18 (budgeted amount: R1 355 544,53), the upgrade of Coronation Hall in Ward 6 (budgeted amount: R1 084 901, 05), phase two of the new Lakeside Road in Ward 22 (budgeted amount: R2 800 000) and phase one on tarring of Kwabalele until the police station in Wards 19 and 20 (budgeted amount: R2 427 552, 31).
Projects near completion included phase one of the electrification of Wards 2 and 3 (budgeted amounts: R1 762 000 and R1 988 000 respectively).
A total of seven projects in the planning stage were also mentioned, with four at the procurement stage and given tentative completion deadlines of June 2020.
The construction of a library in Ward 11 was altered to be a multipurpose centre, with no budget yet set.
The 2019/20 Special Adjusted Budget would include R476 164 000 in revenue, which included property rates, service charges and grants, while a total of R475 164 000 in expenditure would include employee related costs, bulk purchases, the Eskom payment plan, councillor related costs, contract services, repairs and maintenance, free basic services, outstanding creditors, finance charges and general costs.
Tiang Molefe, who resides in Nceceni, Ward 17 said, “We are happy from the report back from the municipality. This report touched on the issues which were raised long ago by the communities, and it shows the municipality did listen to people’s needs. This was a chance for us to have some of the things fixed. They are showing accountability.”
DA Councillor and Portfolio Chairperson for Corporate Services, Alta de Kock said the party was also happy with the report ‘only if the promises turned into reality’. “For the last five years, it did not happen. As in the Mark Street road upgrading, the money was there but was not spent on Mark Street; it was instead spent on roads in rural areas.”
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