Emalahleni Regional Municipality’s Integrated Development Plan

The Emalahleni Local Municipality convened the 2024 Integrated Development Plan (IDP) Budget Indaba as part of its aim to be a centre of excellence and innovation.

This gathering took place on Tuesday, May 7, at the Emalahleni Local Municipality Banquet Hall.

Mr Sipho Mahlangu, the interim municipal manager, addressed the stakeholders at the meeting about the objective of the gathering and the municipal overview.

The main purposes that were presented included the municipality’s draft IDP and budget to the stakeholders before its final adoption, receiving further inputs and comments from the stakeholder’s representatives, receiving guidance on omissions, promoting further integration of various sector departments, business, and lastly the industry’s projects.

The acting manager further addressed the meeting’s mission statement by saying, “Empowerment of our communities and providing innovative and excellent service is conducive for suitable economic development and social transformation.”

Mahlangu also gave the demographics, explaining the Emalahleni population, the youth population, the female population, and the number of houses in eMalahleni.

Sipho adds to the legislative framework by including the Constitution of the RSA, chapter 7 of section 152, as well as the local government’s objectives.

Following the acting manager’s presentation of all the relevant components, Executive Mayor Clr Leah Mabuza presented the IDP budget.

The councillor expressed gratitude, stating she is honoured that they are conducting the IDP Indaba and presenting the municipality’s strategy from 2024 to 2025, both in terms of capital projects and sources of revenue.
“Our local municipality is characterised by a relatively stable political and social environment, which is good for trading and investment promotion strategy,” said Mabuza.

The mayor also addressed the municipality’s primary fiscal difficulties for 2024/2025. These challenges include:

· Weak economic performance and revenue shortfalls.

· Emalahleni unemployment rate, which is 37.6% according to the expanded definition, stats SA.

· Impact of cost drivers, which are bulk purchases of electricity.

· Water and employee-related costs.

· Ageing municipality infrastructure and unaffordable maintenance plans.

· High distribution losses, and lastly maintaining a positive cash flow and a funded budget.

The executive mayor also added important points by saying, “Due to illegal connections, theft, vandalism, and those of municipal structures, maintaining a positive cash flow is one of the challenges that we might not realise.”

With the challenges stated, the executive mayor also proposed a tariff increase of 2024/2025, and the increase in tariffs was done through a cost reflective process, which takes into account the expenditure incurred provided the service of assessment rates, electricity, water, sanitation, and refuse.

“We have appointed several companies to assist us in terms of revenue which the programme is going to be run concurrently with our communities, and also assess and evaluate how the communities should pay,” she added.

In conclusion, the executive mayor also stated that they are worried about some of the negative impacts of some of the business operations in the environment in particular. Also, most of the mining operations are not considering their rehabilitation programmes as their strategic priority, they want to tick the box.

“We also call on the mining industry to consider donating the rehabilitated land back to the community once a mine closure certificate has been issued so that it can be repurposed for other socio-economic development activities,” she concluded.

Subsequently, the local municipality will conduct a review of several by-laws that impose unnecessary red tape or are unfriendly to the business climate, and they want a by-law that adds value rather than one that suffocates enterprises.

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— WitbankNews (@WitbankN) May 9, 2024

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