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Mandela Bay IDP and Budget Consultation with Public

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The Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality, under the leadership of Executive Mayor Zanoxolo Wayile, is currently ramping up their public participation efforts with several meetings consulting with different stakeholders before the tabling of the operating and capital budgets on Tuesday.

This is in addition to the extensive public participatory process that we had from 9 – 12 May that gave stakeholders the opportunity to give input at a venue near their homes.

In a special item to the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality’s Council, tabled on Monday 14 June, Executive Mayor Zanoxolo Wayile stated that the continuation of the public participation process was decided upon for several reasons. Some of them are:

  • In terms of the presiding legislation, the IDP and Budget must be broadly consulted with the public.
  • In addition, the Municipality’s budget must be noted 30 days prior to the commencement of the new financial year (1 July 2011). The 2011/12 Draft Budget was noted at the Council meeting of 31 May 2011.
  • Council further noted that local government elections were held on 18 May 2011 and that the new Council had not had sufficient time to digest the IDP and Budget and their implications.
  • Council also noted that further engagement with the community, stakeholders, Community Based Organisations, Non-Governmental Organisations and others needed to take place before Council finally approved the IDP and Budget.
  • At the Council meeting on 7 June 2011, Council noted the Draft IDP and Budget.
  • At the same Council meeting, Council approved a Process Plan for the review.
  • The Process Plan included the establishment of an IDP/Budget review Task Team which would comprise of the Executive Mayor (Chairperson), Cllr Balu Naran, Cllr Thando Ngcolomba and core staff.
  • The Process Plan included: Engagements with each Directorate; Engagements with political parties; Engagements with social partners, CBOs, NGOs
  • The Executive Mayor is expected to report to Council the progress on the implementation of the Process Plan and the consequent review of the IDP and Budget.
  • According to National Energy Regulation of South Africa (NERSA) regulations, the Budget can only be approved by Council once NERSA has approved the electricity tariffs.

Furthermore the report states the following non-negotiable priorities:

  • Bucket eradication
  • 80/20 (90/10) principle
  • Tarring of gravel roads in townships
  • Housing
  • Water & sanitation
  • Electricity
  • Roads and stormwater drainage
  • Eradication of illegal dumping (townships and Northern Areas)
  • Upgrading of Sport facilities (townships and Northern Areas)
  • Township rejuvenation
  • Agricultural corridor
  • Deracialisation of all wards
  • Job creation and skills development, and;
  • Constant communication with public and stakeholders.

Today at 09h00 Mayor Wayile met with the Ratepayers Association to allow them an opportunity to give their input. Meetings with other stakeholders are to follow.

Editors Notes:

  • OK Zaoxolo it seems as though you are making the right noises here – just make sure that the noise translates into action.
  • I think that the 80/20 (which has now become the 90/10) split of spending 80% on previously disadvantaged areas and 20% on previously advantaged areas is all a bit of politicking but as a social conscience thing needs to have set outcomes and a definite time line.
  • To state that you only want to eradicate illegal dumping in the Townships and Northern Areas is a bit strange – there is illegal dumping all over our fair city.
  • Township rejuvenation can only happen in the long term if we create a business climate that will employ our people.
  • Now we come to my bug bear; “What exactly do you mean by ‘deracialisation of all wards’?”. If you intend trucking people into areas that they have no historical or social tie to then it will not work. Let us learn from history – the apartheid government farged it all up when they trucked people away from their homes to areas in which they had no historical or social ties. Those poor people had to re-invent themselves all over again as a result of a brutal regime. Let us not make the same mistake again. Create the right climate and NORMALISE your thinking so that we can all be Port Elizabethans first and South Africans second.
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NMB Communications

Media Communications at Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality
The Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality Communications Department is responsible for communicating pertinent Municipal news from Port Elizabeth, Uitenhage and Despatch. Municipality Contact Details. See more articles by NMB Communication's.