MOSSEL BAY NEWS - Mossel Bay's municipal budget for 2026/27 was accepted during a special council meeting on Friday 29 May.
Mayor Dirk Kotzé delivered his budget speech during the meeting, after which comments from the opposition parties followed.
Upon voting, the DA and Icosa were in favour of the budget, while the other opposition parties (ANC, PA, FF Plus and ACDP) were against it.
The budget for the upcoming year amounts to R1.98b for operational expenses and R317m for capital projects. Of this, R205m will be financed from the municipality's own funds, R73m from new loans, and R39m from grants and donations.
Tariff increases
A key point from the mayor's speech was the tariff increases for residents, which will take effect on 1 July. These are as follows:
- Electricity supply: 8.5%
- Property rates: 5.8%
- Waste removal: 5.5%
- Sewerage services: 5.5%
- Water supply: 5.8%.
Mossel Bay Advertiser reached out to the opposition parties for their feedback (in brief) on the budget.
Responses were received from Icosa, the FF Plus and the ANC, and the PA indicated it would not be providing any feedback at this stage.
Icosa (rdl. Nadia Blaauw):
Icosa verstaan die mandaat/funksies van die munisipaliteit. Ons verstaan ook dat die begroting binne die reëls van die wet op munisipale finansiële bestuur is. Die munisipaliteit moet 'n hegter band vorm met ander rolspelers soos die Nasionale Jeugontwikkelingsagentskap, die SAPD en die departement van sosiale ontwikkeling. Dwelms verwoes ons gemeenskappe - hoe kan die munispaliteit tesame met ander entiteite die probleem takel?
Ek is baie passievol oor vaardigheidsontwikkeling in landelike gebiede, en is opgewonde oor die loodsnavorsingsentrum wat in Herbertdale gaan gebeur, soos die burgemeester in sy repliek genoem het. Icosa ondersteun die begroting en sal 'n streng oog op administrasie hou om die mandaat uit te voer. Icosa wil ook 'n beroep op inwoners doen om vergaderings oor die geïntegreerde ontwikkelingsplan by te woon en saam met hul wykskomitees te werk. Dinge is nog nie waar ons as inwoners hulle wil hê nie, maar as die opposisie is dit ons plig om die administrasie altyd aan ons gemeenskappe se lot te herinner. Meer kan nog gedoen word.
VF Plus:
Ons het teen die begroting gestem.
- Daar was 'n versoek vir 'n ekstra kategorie vir pensioenariskorting (bokant die huidige R27 000-afsnypunt).
- Om die begroting goed te keur benodig ons die uitstaande regskostes wat verskul-dig is. Die munisipaliteit verplig ons om 'n PAIA-aansoek te bring [Wet op die Bevordering van Toegang tot Inligting].
- Uit die gemeenskap is daar 'n groot ontevredenheid met die belastinguiteen-setting, en ook dat dit bokant inflasie is.
ANC:
The mayor's budget speech failed to address the real needs of the greater Mossel Bay communities. It was, in substance, just talk. Throughout this financial year, the ANC engaged directly with the mayor and municipal manager and former CFO to raise our concerns about this budget. Despite those engagements, the ward budgets remain unimplementable - they exist only on paper.
The communities participated in the IDP process and clearly stated their needs. Yet those needs have not been budgeted for. What we see reflected is operational budget planning only, with no real capital allocation to respond to community priorities. For these reasons, the ANC does not support this budget. It does not speak to the people, nor does it respond to the needs raised by our communities in the IDP. This budget is nothing more than an electioneering tool, designed to win political support while prioritising the interests of the affluent at the expense of poor and vulnerable communities.
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