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What The Mayor Said at Today’s Council Meeting Over Budget

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Honourable Speaker Members of Mayoral Committee Councillor Colleagues Acting City Manager Officials Members of the Media The Public Gallery Ladies and gentlemen Molweni! Goeie more! Good morning! A hearty welcome to you all! Today I would like to raise few issues that are critical Adjustment Budget 2022/23 The tabling of the Adjusted Budget today, is a product of a collective effort by the GLU. 

It is done with the singular intent to strengthen its capacity to ensure ethical governance and deliver on its mandate to serve all the people in the NMB Metro. As we convene, we remain pragmatic of the current circumstances we are faced with as we continue the path of building and transforming local government in the NMB that will enable us to build a financially viable and equitable Metro, through a budget that will deliver effective and efficient services to all our communities. With this budget we send a clear message to our communities we serve, that through the GLU, a prosperous and better NMBM is in the making and our people should continue to have confidence in the work of this Council. 

The main focus of our city as we are adjust this budget is to address the water challenges both in the Western side of our city also in the Northern side and we will work to make sure that the Nooitgedagt water scheme Phase 2 is fast tracked in order to augment our water system. We will also undertake to check what other alternative measure we can do to permanently address the water challenges in our city. We will work with our Public Health and Environmental Services to prioritise the cleaning in our city and clean all the dumping sites, working with all the parties in Council, especially EFF, we have raised this matter. The municipality will have to collect the refuse in our communities on weekly basis as we assist our communities to live in better environments. We will also augment our fleet to incorporate the local providers in leasing their vehicles to assist to meet our targets. All the parks will be maintained, will be fenced, playing grounds for children will be prioritized as we build healthy communities. I will also use the Discretionary Funds to help the girl child with sanitary towels from the disadvantaged communities. The conditional grants which we have received from the National Treasury will be used to provide electricity, the sanitation in the form of mobile toilets, formalization of informal sites to our communities, especially the informal settlements all over the Metro. Service sites will be prioritized and handed over Sports facilities especially in the Northern Areas and in the townships will be properly maintained. We will also prioritise the St Georges Park, Zwide, New Brighton, Gelvandale Swimming Pools with renovations and fencing. 

As the city will prioritise the key catalytic projects, the Beach Front Development, N2 Development, KwaNobuhle Development and all other developments which will be unveiled in our vision for the city. We call on committees to immediately sit after this council meeting to prioritise the issue of outstanding securities, meter readers and plumbers in order to fast-track the standing question of insourcing.

The outstanding issues that deal with insourcing, the following process will be undertaken; 

• The plumbers item will be finalized by the Standing Committee of Infrastructure and Engineering, the business plan has been done including the evaluation of positions. • The meter readers process is still on the infant stage, and will be accommodated on the draft budget by the end of March for the 2022/2023 budget. • The outstanding resolution of insourcing of 190 securities which was in line with the already insourced 620 securities, of which some of them have been included in the EPWP and also those who are outside the programme will be accommodated. There are seventeen (17) vacancies which will be immediately included. • There are four (4) workers who have been part of the system at SRAC who have worked as volunteers for the past 3 and half years, they will also be accommodated in the system. Political appointments As the Executive Mayor, I have decided to make changes in the Mayoral Committee in the Human Settlements Directorate.

In the Human Settlements Directorate, I then appoint Cllr Shuling Lindoor of the Patriotic Alliance taking over. Councillor Ranyele who used to serve at Human Settlements will now serve as MMC for Roads and Transport.

On Youth Coordination, we are also addressing the number of six (6) Youth Coordinators from six (6) to ten (10). We are also in a process of finalizing agreement with National Youth Development Agency (NYDA), where we will avail facilities including security to establish six (6) Youth Centres in all Clusters in the Metro, where they will assist in youth development, and have access to all youth services. 

• On Mayoral Coordinators, we will adjust the number from twelve (12) to twenty (20) in order to address and accommodate the peri-urban areas who feel isolated like Colchester, Seaview and Kuyga. We also in the process of creating a Smart City where we want services like Wi-Fi and Safety and Security to be addressed in our communities. 

A committee will be established which will constitute of Electricity & Energy, Safety & Security, Corporate Services, Budget and Treasury. It will be Makhi Feni, Luxolo Namette, Tukelo Zumani, Lawrence Troon and Khanya Ngqisha. In conclusion: The Budget and treasury in the next Standing Committee will have to present a comprehensive plan of revenue enhancement in our city, also to address the fruitless and wasteful expenditure by tightening systems and controls. 

We will also need to build capacity by enhancing with project management capabilities. The matter which affects our communities with the reconnection fee, has to be phased out now. The Budget & Treasury must present that plan. 

Thank you…

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Alan Straton

Chief Cook, Bottle Washer and Broom Mechanic at MyPE
Passionate about Port Elizabeth and definitely NOT packing for Perth. Alan's ethos is epitomised in the words of Nelson Mandela; "I have fought against white domination and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the idea of a democratic and free society. If need be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die." See more articles by Alan.