State of the City Address focuses on service delivery

Inadequate and consistent water supply is the biggest hindrance to the growth of the city and it will therefore be one of the main focus areas for the current financial year, Polokwane Executive Mayor Thembi Nkadimeng said in her State of the City Address (Soca) at a special council meeting in Jack Botes Hall last Thursday.
Nkadimeng reflected on the future of the city and also highlighted the achievements of the municipality over the last year. “The future of Polokwane promises to be a bustling centre of economic opportunities. To get to this, we need to deal with the challenges or stumbling blocks that are hindering our growth prospects.
The first challenge that the city is facing towards this future is the hindrance to the growth of the city as a result of the water challenge, second is the waste water treatment challenges and third is the mushrooming of unplanned and uncontrolled settlements and fourth is the state of our roads,” Nkadimeng said.

Nkadimeng said that Council has adopted a budget that seeks to ensure basic service delivery to all communities, contribute towards job creation and accelerate economic development and ensure financial sustainability.
“The total operating expenditure for the 2019/20 financial year has been appropriated at almost R3,6 billion. When compared to the 2018/19 adjustment budget, the operating expenditure has grown with six percent. Capital projects will be funded from grants to the amount of R1,26 billion whilst R620 million will be funded from own funds and borrowings,” Nkadimeng explained.
Nkadimeng added that the bigger chunk of the capital budget is geared towards critical services that are roads and water and sanitation. The capital budget provides for R522 million for roads and stormwater, R507,9 million for sewer reticulation, R386,7 million for water supply and reticulation, R159,4 million for the public transport infrastructure, R62,2 million for electricity infrastructure and R61,1 million for sport and recreation.
“With all these programmes that we have put in place, we are now confident that we are moving closer to our ultimate goal of being able to launch and application for being a metro in the future. We will soon be advertising a position for someone who will be coordinating this programme. As a Council today, we must always remember that the price for success is hard work, dedication to the job at hand and the determination that whether we win or lose, we would have applied the best of ourselves to the task at hand,” Nkadimeng said.

Nkadimeng warned that the municipality has intensified the application of credit control measures as well as legal action. “It is befitting that we express our sincere gratitude to all individual residents and businesses who continue to pay their municipal accounts in the City and Seshego.
It is out of these contributions that we are able to expand and sustain service delivery. We have put together a plan for the Mankweng area and government institutions in that area and will embark on a campaign to ensure optimal revenue collection in the area,” she emphasised.
“I call upon all the people of Polokwane to hold hands with us in this journey to build a Smart City because unity is strength and when there is team work and collaboration, wonderful things can be achieved. In unity we can move mountains,” Nkadimeng concluded.

Story & photos: BARRY VILJOEN
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