Update

MOSSEL BAY NEWS - The ACDP in Mossel Bay says the party did not approve the 2022/23 municipal budget due to insufficient information at its disposal and too short a time frame.

In a press release the ACDP says, due to the late submission of information, received only on Friday, 27 May, at 16:28, the ACDP was unable to make an informed decision on whether or not to accept the budget at the meeting on Tuesday, 31 May, at 09:00.

"The budget is a critical document as it determines the financial viability of the municipality as well as what level of services can be provided to residents and at what cost. Further, the budget determines which capital projects with regard to infrastructure, will be undertaken in the financial year.

"As such, it is of utmost importance that all political parties be granted the opportunity to study the amendments that have been made to the draft budget prior to accepting or rejecting such a budget and thereby committing the residents of this town to the raising of revenue and the expenditure proposed for an entire year."

Concerns

The party says it is concerned about the following:

1. The escalating bad debt. As of 28 February this municipality was owed R207 million in bad debt. Of this, R112 million is due to household debt, with the remaining R95 million owed by businesses and those renting buildings or land from the Mossel Bay Municipality.
2. The cost of contracted services. For years the ACDP has argued that these are actually hidden remuneration costs and this year the provincial treasury has flagged these costs as a concern. The norm for this expenditure is 2% to 5%, while the municipality is projected to spend 17.7% this year.
3. Theft of electricity. The ACDP has repeatedly drawn attention to this ever-increasing phenomenon in our municipal area. With the continued rise in prices of electricity from Eskom the theft of electricity has become a considerable threat to this municipality. Each year we have to pay millions of rands to Eskom, which are not billed and recovered from residents. A visit to the informal settlements provides evidence of widespread electricity theft as well as the indiscriminate use of such stolen electricity, with lights burning even in daytime. Urgent work and effort must be done via the electrification grant to provide for the opportunity for people to purchase electricity legally.
4. Although there has been a reduction of planned overtime expenditure, this does not take into account the more than 70 after hours callouts each month to the western side of Mossel Bay Municipality due to the overloading of power systems from illegal connections and the resultant need to reset breakers to restore electricity to paying residents.

"With this said, the ACDP acknowledges that the compilation of a budget in excess of R1 billion is not an easy task and that many people have spent months of hard work in preparation for its tabling in council. The abstention of the ACDP from a decision don the budget is in no way a reflection of the quality of the document before us," said the party.

The ACDP requests that amendments to documentation as comprehensive as the Integrated Development Plan, The Spatial Development Plan and the budget should be forwarded to councillors timeously in order for them to carefully examine proposals and requests from the community via the different public participation processes. "Ultimately residents will know the needs in their community best."

The party says its intention in Mossel Bay is "not to simply operate as an opposition, holding the administration and governing politicians to account, but also as fellow councillors committed to the wellbeing of our residents and the prosperity of our municipality".

Related article: Mayor Tables budget

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