Joburg budget passed, despite ANC rejection
JOBURG – The African National Congress said the budget does not include 60 per cent for projects in poor communities, but it was nevertheless passed.
Despite the African National Congress (ANC) voting against it, the Democratic Alliance (DA)-led administration in the City of Johannesburg’s first budget was passed in Council on 25 May.
Executive Mayor Herman Mashaba said the budget reflects the coalition government bringing together a diversity of views and solutions to the challenges experienced by the City’s residents. “I would like to thank our coalition partners, the IFP, ACDP, UDM, COPE, VF+, and Al Jama-ah, for their unwavering support. Together, and with the support of the EFF, we were able to construct a budget that will bring change to the people of Johannesburg,” he said.
Mashaba said the budget was the result of intensive and extensive public consultation on the Integrated Development Plan (IDP), which informs the budget. “Over 8 000 residents participated in our IDP process, as compared to the 3 000 last year. This indicates our residents’ increased desire to constructively engage with government.”
The City, Mashaba said, also received over 1 000 written submissions and 2 000 tweets which focused mostly on service delivery matters.
“I have previously stated that the challenges which we have inherited are many and complex, and it will take time to fully address them. However, with the budget passed today, we can start to meet these challenges head-on.
“Soon the residents of Johannesburg will begin to see the change which they demanded in August last year.”
But during the debate on 25 May, the ANC’s caucus leader and former Joburg mayor, Parks Tau said there was no correlation between the budget and MMC for Finance, Dr Rabelani Dagada’s, speech about 60 per cent of the City’s capital expenditure being driven towards poor communities. Tau claimed the figures don’t show the 60 per cent commitment. “Councillor Dagada must present the full picture,” Tau said.
He claimed that the administration did not take into account the submissions made by the ANC which, he added, represents 65 per cent of the wards in Joburg.
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