MyPE

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NMB Metro is playing Russian roulette with residents’ money

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Dear MyPE

Nelson Mandela Bay is on the brink of losing even more funding from National Treasury if they do not pass the special adjustments budget, which can bring total financial ruin on the Metro and lead to a catastrophic collapse of services.

National Treasury has already withheld just under R1,6 billion in grant funding (R754 million from the 2019/20 financial year and R839 million from the current 2020/21 financial year).

Despite this, the Metro has simply ignored the repeated concerns raised by National Treasury and has failed to meet the 30 September 2020 deadline to submit the adjustments budget.

A Special Council Meeting, scheduled for 6 October, to finally address the delays and pass the adjustments budget, was cancelled because an agenda was not made available. This despite repeated promises made by the administration to National Treasury that the adjustments budget would be tabled before the set deadline.

This is just another clear indication that the ANC-led Coalition of Corruption and its administration has a total disregard for National Treasury and is playing Russian roulette with residents’ money.

Amongst the key demands that the City received from Treasury are the following:

  1. The vacancy for Executive Mayor must be filled.
  2. A qualified Municipal Manager has to be lawfully appointed.
  3. Recommendations on Forensic Investigations need to be implemented.

The Metro is already on its knees, and service delivery has come to an almost complete standstill.

DA Eastern Cape Provincial Leader, Cllr Nqaba Bhanga, will now write to National Treasury and will request a direct intervention to save the City from collapse.

The DA will fight to ensure that the Metro does not fall into total financial ruin to the detriment of citizens that are already hard-hit due to the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Regards

Cllr Malcolm Figg
DA Nelson Mandela Bay Spokesperson for Budget and Treasury

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