Durban metro presents budget R41.6 billion - the second biggest in South Africa

ETHEKWINI mayor James Nxumalo scored a political trifecta when he promised houses‚ jobs and water during the presentation of the city’s budget on Tuesday.

Buckling under the stranglehold of economic inequality‚ eThekwini municipality tabled a R41‚6 billion budget – the second biggest in the country‚ after Johannesburg – with the main focus of bridging the gap between the rich and poor.

Nxumalo said the targets for the next three years‚ among others‚ includes:

•Building 15‚500 houses;

•Providing 12‚538 serviced sites;

•Provide 1‚090 gap market housing opportunities;

•Upgrading 1‚400 pre-1994 housing stock;

•Installing 37‚500 water connections including newly incorporated areas;

 •Installing 24‚000 sewer connections;

 •Providing 10‚500 rural sanitation;

•Providing 90‚000 electricity connections;

 •Upgrading 174 clinics;

 •Creating 90‚000 Expanded Public Works Programme opportunities;

 •Converting 38 kilometres of gravel to black-top; and

•Construction of four fire stations.

This was‚ however‚ slammed by opposition parties‚ especially the Democratic Alliance which said it was hopeless for the thousands of unemployed residents in the city.

“The mayor failed to provide clear direction as no significant steps were announced to address unemployment and problems with service delivery‚” said DA’s Zwakele Mncwango.

Mayor James Nxumalo said high on the municipality’s agenda is to create an alternative agricultural value chain which will benefit existing and emerging farmers‚ thus responding to issues of food security.

 Nxumalo‚ who sought to showcase his service delivery record of the past five years at the helm of the municipality‚ prided himself for leading a city that has moved from the Manase report to a clean audit achieved in the 2014/15 financial year.

“We are pleased that during our term of office we witnessed an upward trend in compliance with key legislation. A good example of this is that there are no councillors doing business with the City. We hope that this achievement will be carried through in the new administration‚” said Nxumalo.

 It is still not clear if Nxumalo will return as the mayor of eThekwini after the newly elected regional leadership nominated veteran councillor Zandile Gumede for the top job.

However‚ Nxumalo was bullish in his presentation dubbed “together advancing people’s power in eThekwini”‚ outlining the plans for the City going forward‚ saying these include the “catalytic projects” that will transform the City’s landscape and promote future growth and development.

The budget has grown from R31.7 billion in 2011 when he took over to R41.6 billion this year.

The City’s capital budget has grown from R5.3 billion to R6.7 billion.

Coupled with this achievement‚ Nxumalo said the city has over R6 billion in terms of cash-on-hand.