The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Umdoni rejects the municipality’s proposed R453 million budget for the 2025/26 financial year.
The proposed budget seeks to increase rates and tariffs by 5% and the refuse fees by 100%, despite a lack of service delivery for months.
The excessive costs on security at R19.5 million must be reviewed and rationalised. The Landfill operator is budgeted at R13.2 million to keep it in a dysfunctional state. It can be operated in-house at a fraction of the price. The use of consultants can be reduced from R13,774 million by insisting departmental heads do the professional work they are employed for. Productivity and performance management using ward committees for monitoring will lower the excessive contracting costs of R64,606 million. Providing support to schools for sports facilities is more effective than building sports facilities that are not used and are ultimately vandalised.
The proposed 2025/26 Budget is in no way based on any substantial data provided in the Integrated Development Plan (IDP), because it does not exist. It is however an obvious attempt to fleece ratepayers to fund the ANC’s campaign plan to get more votes in the next election.
It lacks a coherent approach to promoting economic growth and the urgent need to generate job opportunities for the growing unemployment numbers, especially amongst young people. Essentially, it lacks vision and strategic direction that will maintain existing infrastructure, upgrade and extend services to meet the needs of growing settlements, both formal and informal.
The lack of credibility and practical value in the document reflects the approach of its government leadership.
What Umdoni needs is a plan that is founded on the premise that we are one municipality and citizenry, made up of multiple communities and areas, with an interdependence that demands planning that provides opportunity, growth and protection to all.