CoJ budget promises change to residents
First budget passed under coalition government
“The challenges which we have inherited are many and complex, and it will take time to fully address them. However, with today’s budget, we can start meeting these challenges head on.”
So said the Member of the Mayoral Committee for Finance, councillor Rabelani Dagada, during his maiden Budget Speech on 23 May.
The budget of R55,9 billion was approved by all of the coalition parties, but the African National Congress (ANC) voted against it. It was also the city’s first budget ever, under a coalition government.
Dagada said that the budget was not only reflective of their commitment to serve the city’s residents, but also reflected the needs of the residents, as was found during the various IDP meetings. Some important highlights in the budget speech, include:
• R40 million has been allocated to enhance the situation in informal settlements such as Slovo Park, Princess, Itsoseng, Meriting, Motsoaledi, Lawley, Ebumnandini, Alexandra, Ennerdale South, and Zandspruit.
• An amount of R162,7 million was allocated for the provision of additional electricity and water connections in informal settlements, once again including Princess and Zandspruit.
• R66 million allocated toward progressively focusing on the site and service housing development approach.
• The CoJ has set itself a target to construct 2 000 rental accommodation units alongside the development of 5 000 mixed housing development units for the city’s poor.
• An allocation of R574 million expenditure and R115 million in operational expenditure has been set aside for the upgrading of 10 informal settlements throughout the city, including Princess and Zandspruit. This will be followed by an upgrade of 20 informal settlements in 2018/ 19 and 21 in 2019/ 20.
• R9,5 million has been allocated for the provision of shelter for the CoJ’s homeless.
• R118 million has been allocated – over the medium-term – for the extension of operating hours of five more clinics.
• To increase JMPD visibility on the streets – particularly in the identified hotspot areas — an allocation of R131 million has been made.
• R16 million has been allocated to be used for the expansion of the city’s SME hubs, from seven to 14.
• R5,2 billion has been set aside for the upgrading of existing infrastructure, R3,3 billion was allocated for the development of new infrastructure and R4,3 billion has been allocated towards progressively addressing much-needed maintenance and repairs on the infrastructure system.
The Chairperson for the African National Congress (ANC) Greater Johannesuburg Region, councillor Parks Tau also attended the speech, but was not very impressed. He congratulated the MMC for deliver his maiden budget speech but was not entirely happy with the reading of the budget itself.
“Your speech, and the budget itself, have given the people of Johannesburg the first real insight into what you and your collective have put together and stand for – both in what you have said and also what you have omitted to say. I am certain that if anyone listened to your speech without reading the actual budget numbers, they would have been convinced that the budget services only the poor and historically disadvantaged areas of our city, belying the reality presented by the numbers under consideration today. But then the numbers are there to speak, and tell the truth,” he said.
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