In the midst of service delivery protests unfolding across South Africa, the eThekwini municipality has allocated a R23,5-billion operating budget, part of a R28,6-billion budget for 2011/12, to deliver basic services to communities, and R5,1-billion capital budget to ensure the continuation of major infrastructure projects.

In presenting the city’s biggest budget to date, Mayor Obed Mlaba said the municipality aimed to prioritise the elimination of backlogs in the delivery of basic services.

“We have made great strides in trying to close the gap that exists in our communities. This budget will enable us to substantially break the back of poverty as we progressively extend quality services to all residents.”

Despite achievements in service delivery in the past ten years, it was acknowledged that there were challenges, such as unemployment, poverty, crime, the burden of disease and access to basic services that required attention.

Achievements included 91% of households have water available within 200 m of a dwelling and 75% of the eThekwini households had access to at least the minimum level of sanitation.

The housing backlog as a proportion of current demand had decreased over the past financial years and the current backlog was 364 493 houses.

About 150 000 housing units have been delivered over the past ten years and over     80 000 houses were delivered in this current term.

Mlaba said that the city continued to provide basic social services to assist the poor at no charge, which included 9 kl of water and 65 kWh electricity to residents using less than 150 kWh a month.

Infrastructure Spend and Updates

The R1,5-billion Western Aqueduct project was expected to be completed shortly and phase two of the project was expected to be completed by 2012.

Further, the Northern Aqueduct project would start in the 2011/12 financial year to cater for the expansion of the northern areas.

The Mpumalanga New Town Centre development, with phase one consisting of R30-million bulk infrastructure to unlock the land for mixed-use development, is under way.

The eThekwini municipality started construction on the multimillion-rand development project to turn the Mpumalanga area into a vibrant, high amenity regional town centre that would serve the greater Hammarsdale/Mpumalanga areas.

About 120 ha of land has been identified for the Mpumalanga New Town Centre development. This land currently fell under the ownership of the Ingonyama Trust Board and would be jointly developed by the eThekwini municipality in partnership with Eris Property Group.

Phase two of the project comprised the development of government facilities, public transport infrastructure and new housing units to cater for low-and middle-income groups.

In Cato Ridge, planned developments focused on commercial and industrial development, and included a transport corridor from the dugout port, linking it to a new transition node in the area.

A high speed train between Durban and Johannesburg, as well as a train service between Durban and Pietermaritzburg were also being considered as part of the R700-billion infrastructure spend by national government, said Mlaba.

With regard to housing delivery, construction on the first phase of the R20-billion Cornubia development, which included about 5 000 housing units, would start this year. This, the mayor said, was a key flagship project for the city to accommodate a significant portion of the housing backlog and would incorporate the construction of 20 000 low- and middle-income houses, schools, businesses, clinics and other infrastructure.

Tenders for the infrastructure outlay would be out next month.

“The Cornubia development project will be the home of the next major industrial area in the north of Durban and would link developments around the new King Shaka International Airport,” Mlaba said.

Service delivery protests in the country this year have taken place in areas including Embalenhle, in Secunda, Zandspruit, in Gauteng, and Khayelitsha, in Cape Town. Dominating the news and resulting in widespread condemnation countrywide, was the death of Andries Tata, during a protest in eastern Free State, on April 13.