Local government goes to the people
2007-05-31
May Saal
THE Cape Winelands District Municipality gave true meaning to the phrase ‘taking Local Government to the People’ when it held, for the first time, its Budget Vote Council Meeting at the Mbekweni Community Hall last week.
The 2007/08 budget speech was delivered by the Executive Mayor of the Cape Winelands District Municipality Councillor, Clarence Johnson.
Councillor Johnson said the budget was aimed at improving the lives of the poorest of the poor and providing them with a social security net.
He said when implemented, the budget would manifest what is needed to achieve the caring society that would ensure a better life for all.
According to him it is aimed at job creation through local economic development projects and would strive to find convergence between the first and second economies, paving the foundation for emerging entrepreneurs.
It would promote human development, especially among the youth, women and disabled.
“In essence, we listened to what the people wanted and through this budget we intend to give it to them,” Johnson said.
The total budget for 2007/08 is R294,2 million. The capital budget is R13,8 million, the operating budget R199,7 million and a project budget R80,7 million.
According to Johnson significant housing backlogs remain a challenge, so do teenage pregnancy and substance abuse, farm evictions and the high level of illiteracy.
The poor quality of education, public transport network, lack of sports and health facilities, are challenges.
The slow pace of land reform partly owing to high cost of land and shortage of water as well as increased pressure on public health facilities are also on the list.
Monies have been allocated for the following programmes and projects for the 2007 to 2010 strategic objectives: R13,5m for Local Economic Development and Tourism; R128m has been set aside for Housing, Land and Infrastructure; R25m for Community and Developmental Services; R46m for Public Safety and Protection; R3,5m for Sustainable Land-Use and Planning and R78m for Governance, Institutional Development and Financial Sustainability.
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