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The DA in uMgungundlovu strongly objects to the District’s 2023/24 budget.

The budget that was tabled and unfortunately approved due to the majority vote in council on Tuesday, does not speak to the needs of residents. Only the DA voted against this budget.

We are proud to have opposed this budget on behalf of residents for many valid reasons. The R1.4 billion budget failed, as it has year on year, to address basic service delivery. The water and sanitation tariff increase is set at 8%. This seems reasonable, until you remember the 50% increase last year. This then translates to an alarming 58% over the two years, compounded.

One would hope that this would mean some relief to residents whose meters do not work and need replacement or have endless billing queries that repeat month on month and year on year.

The budget does not address the following concerns: -

- Power during loadshedding and threats of the power grid collapse, which would result in a total collapse of water and sewerage systems
- Non-revenue water, which is water wasted, lost or stolen. Wasted water, leaks and water theft costs the municipality millions, but no budget is allocated to address these issues.
- Risks of cholera due to failing infrastructure across the district.
- 3000 houses not built due to no water bulk infrastructure for a decade – even while the department of Human Settlements is willing to fund 50% of the bill.

These issues require proactive planning and budgeting, which is not evident.

The municipality keeps pouring money into Umeda – a local development agency, to line the pockets of cadres. This year they were allocated R11.5m but we never see any measurable results.

For the district to be functional, sustainable and provide safe, reliable services – we would need much better financial controls, including revenue systems that work and budgeting that addresses current issues. This is seemingly not a priority to the ANC.

Residents of uMgungundlovu deserve a government that puts their needs first.

Issued by Councillor Hazel Lake - DA uMgungundlovu Caucus Leader