Polokwane Municipality’s budget for the 2018/19 financial year amounting to R3,6 billion was finally approved during a council meeting last Wednesday.
At the beginning of the meeting, the two parties argued for over 45 minutes as EFF members insisted on speaking Sepedi and did not want anyone to translate what had been said. This prompted DA members to speak in Afrikaans, making it difficult for the majority of the council to follow the proceedings. The parties eventually agreed to revert to English as a medium for communication.
Executive Mayor Thembi Nkadimeng thereafter tabled the budget and said in order to keep up with the demand for sustainable services; a tariff increase on the big five revenue streams being electricity which will increase by 8,5%, water by 10,5%, sanitation, refuse removal, assessment rates and all other tariffs by 6%. The total operating revenue of R3,6 billion has grown by 8,4% for the 2018/19 financial year when compared to the 2017/18 adjustment budget, she stated.
“We have presented the proposed tariff increases mindful of our indigent households. Let me reiterate that the municipality will continue in the financial year 2018/19 to provide our pensioners earning monthly income of R8 300 and above the indigent threshold of R3 500 per household to get rebates of 80% on assessment rates,” said Nkadimeng.
Bulk purchases of water and electricity from Lepelle Northern Water and Eskom have been budgeted for at R915 million in the 2018/19 financial year while R11 million was budgeted for operational expenditure for Polokwane Housing Association and R90 million for Ga-Rena Rental Village Phase 2 in the next three years.
Nkadimeng said the total operating expenditure for the 2018/19 financial year has been appropriated at almost R3,4 billion and capital projects will be funded from grants to the amount of R1,25 billion while R670 million will be funded from own funds and borrowings.
Story: ENDY SENYATSI
>>endy@observer.co.za
