Tshwane asks province for extension to pass budget

The City of Tshwane has written to the Gauteng provincial government asking for another  extension on passing the budget.

City manager Johann Mettler confirmed to Sowetan he had written to the provincial Treasury on Monday, asking for the deadline to be moved from March 24 to March 31.

The city missed the February 28 deadline to pass the adjustment budget for the 2022/2023 financial year which determines how much more residents will pay in water, electricity, sewage, waste removal as well as electricity increases.

Mettler said he had cited the ongoing political instability and the city still needing to elect a mayor as the reason for the extension request.

“We’re hopeful that we can have a mayor by tomorrow so council can sit by 31st to pass both draft budget and the adjustment budget.

“We can only spend in terms of original budget and the consequence of that is we don’t have money, we don’t have enough funds. We use adjustments budget to cut on certain projects and expenditure.

“We take from one vote where there was under expenditure and curb where there’s been over-expenditure on another vote. If we don’t get the extension it means we can’t legitimise the adjustments we’ve made and this will also give rise to more irregular and fruitless expenditure," Mettler said.

If the city misses the deadline, it runs the risk of being placed under Section (139) of the constitution by the provincial government.

This would mean the powers of the mayor and mayoral executive are transferred to the province.

A meeting meant to elect a new mayor collapsed on Friday after the DA, ActionSA, ACDP and FF+ walked out of the meeting, leaving it without a quorum.

Council speaker Mncedi Ndzwanana was forced to adjourn the meeting and reconvene it on Wednesday.

Tshwane spokesperson Selby Bokaba said he hoped Wednesday’s meeting would quorate so that a mayor can be elected.

“We hope thereafter the mayor will announce his new mayoral committee so that they can go through all the documents that need to be considered before the deadline,” Bokaba said.

PAC councillor Molwantwa Tshabadi is said to be the ANC and EFF’s mayoral candidate. He will go up against the multi-party coalition’s Cilliers Brink.

ActionSA has filled its three vacancies after terminating the membership of three councillors in just over a week.

Mark Boikanyo, Hluphi Gafane and Derick Mahlangu have been registered as the party’s newest members in council and were confirmed by the Independent Electoral Commission.

This brings the party’s seats back to 19 in the chamber.

nkosin@sowetan.co.za