Unemployment challenge
2005-05-26
ACROSS the breadth of the Cape Winelands District Municipality, unemployment remains the main challenge, Executive Mayor Clarence Johnson said in his budget speech last week.
“Between harvesting seasons, the level of unemployment increases from 18% to 36%. During the off-season women on farms are without income. The children are hungry, there is no work.
“In response, our municipality, together with other spheres of government, have developed a strategy for Human Security and Development to provide basic services, security of tenure, food security and socio-economic rights to the people in our District.
“The developmental strategy must enhance capital formation, to develop human and intellectual capital, increase access to physical capital (land, equipment, and infrastructure), improve access to financial capital, and build social capital (organisations and networks of people to access markets and opportunities).”
Tariffs
Over the next three years the total income budgeted for the Cape Winelands Municipality will be approximately R805 million.
District mayor Clarence Johnson announced in his budget speech that levies remain unchanged, while diverse tariffs increase by 5% to keep up with the consumer price increases.
The total income for 2005/06 is R260 million, consisting of general income (R10,8m), property tax (R779 210), interest on outstanding levies (R5000), interest on district levies (R120,9m) and grants & subsidies (R127,5m).
The total expenditure for 2005/2006 is R260 million, with R168,6 million for the operational budget, R74,6 million for projects and R16,9m million for capital expenditure.
Health
The district assumed the municipal health function for the entire district from 1 July 2004 and all staff and assets were successfully transferred from the local municipalities by this date.
The MEC for health has taken a decision to centralise the delivery of primary health care at the provincial level.
No time frames have been provided for this, but municipalities have been requested to enter into interim agreements with province until this decision has been implemented.
The budget for the next three years is R69,5 million for municipal health services.
“Given the uncertainty of the implementation agent of primary health care, we estimate that the expenditure for the next financial year will be R23 million.
“The key outputs include managing infectious diseases through TB and HIV/Aids control programmes; and implementing a maternal, child and women’s health programme.”
An amount of R3m will also be allocated to 120 farms in the region to cater for tap water in 553 homes; flush toilets in 554 households; subsidies for erecting 131 flush toilets and 21 VIP toilets.
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