Note to editors: Please find attached English and Afrikaans soundbites by Cllr Hilton Maasdorp and Sesotho by Jafta Mokoena MPL.
The Dihlabeng Local Municipality Budget for 2024/2025, tabled by Executive Mayor James Tseki Tseki on 22 May 2024, has once again proven to be a result of poor administration and an ANC political wish list.
The budget is not credit worthy, which impacts negatively on to reduced expenditure across all directorates. Consequently, this results in diluted or absent services for all Dihlabeng communities.
We have seen firsthand the dire consequences of non-functional facilities. The DA asserts that the municipality’s poor service delivery, driven by unrealistic budgets and ineffective directorates, is ruining lives.
We are deeply concerned about the rising debt burden in Dihlabeng. This is not merely a financial figure but a depletion of crucial resources that should be allocated to empower the community.
Although the 2024/2025 Budget has been reduced by R2.4 million to R1,146,768,343, ostensibly to cut unjustified expenditures, the municipality has failed to implement a realistic 90% Revenue Strategy. We advocate for a more achievable 70% funding plan, which we believe will provide a realistic baseline for income.
Electricity trading services, which are relatively well-monitored, display a negative trend in the discrepancy between Eskom purchases, billed amounts, and actual collections. Regular back payments to Eskom are not being made, which is a concerning trend for any viable business model.
This trend implies that other, less well-monitored trade services might be experiencing even worse issues. We have repeatedly requested that the electricity trade account be “ring-fenced” to facilitate corrective actions and ensure these are documented in the Services Delivery and Budget Implementation Plan of the responsible directorate.
Furthermore, the salary component has recorded an excessive amount of over R3 million, attributed to irregular employment and cadre appointments.
We cannot support any budget that fails to focus on and address real service delivery issues affecting all Dihlabeng communities. We therefore propose a revised budget strategy prioritising realistic revenue targets, stringent expenditure oversight, and a transparent audit of employment practices to reallocate funds towards essential community services.