Dr. Gustav Bock
Mayoral Budget Speech 2022 / 23
Nama Khoi Local Municipality
Honourable Speaker;
Council Colleagues;
Members of the Committees for Finance in the Nama Khoi Local Municipality Council;
Municipal Colleagues;
Fellow Nama Khoi region residents:
Introduction
It is my honor and privilege to table before Council and residents within the Nama Khoi borders the 2022 /23 Budget.
Speaker, Council members… I stand here today, hopeful that this financial guideline will be implemented to promote long overdue services to our communities.
We need to save people’s lives by saving livelihoods; by refocusing and applying our minds to reimagine a culture of embracing political diversity and being pioneers of economic freedom, while actively working in the field of inclusive growth for all our residents and small businesses.
I am not here today to dwell on the past, but there are key components to the ‘here and now’ that should not be forgotten.
The political diversity in our Council you all see here today, was born out of the exercising of each resident in our regions’ democratic right to see people elected that is so-inclined to bring about everlasting financial opportunities that would bring employment and job security.
The Covid-19 pandemic has unleashed a magnitude of hardships in our communities and country. This is a battle where people have lost and some still at it, fighting back – either from being ill or from financial devastation.
Yes, our losses are and were boundless. But here we are, chosen to lead our communities through these difficult times and into a Nama Khoi municipal jurisdiction of milk and honey for all.
So, without any further ado, –
I present to you the financial plans for the next financial year:
- After completion of the draft budget, I can now say that we are starting the new financial year with a R50 million in deficit from a discrepancy of R98 million;
For our municipality, this is indeed a silver lining. We are moving closer to our objectives to have a funded budget, instead of an unfunded budget;
Municipal rates have been minimally adjusted and expenditure items were reviewed to affect cost cutting;
The municipality also saw a slight increase in revenue and in due time we will be able to see how effective revenue collection has been.
Please be advised of the following increases:
– Electricity increases with 7.47 percent as prescribed by NERSA, the National Energy Regulator of South Africa;
– Water increases with 7.5 percent, because Sedibeng / Bloem Water has already implemented an increase of 6 percent;
– Property rates remain unchanged and an increase for the next financial year will not be introduced;
– Refuse removal, sanitation and all other municipal services are increased by 6 percent;
– The indigents’ subsidies have also been adjusted by 6 percent and tariffs will take effect if consumption exceeds the subsidized amounts;
With Capital Projects:
- We will receive R41 million from the national treasury for five projects that are already earmarked for infrastructure upgrades.
With Municipal funds:
– Initiatives are in the pipeline for beautifying the town of Springbok as the business district to attract financial investors and institutions to invest in our towns.
– Devices for the visibility of road signs on roads;
– Bulk waste bins for areas where people dump illegally; and,
– A new fleet of vehicles will also be considered for the next 5-year period.
Speaker, Council colleagues and fellow Nama Khoi residents…
It is imperative that we build stronger stakeholder relationships with the larger private business sector to assist the municipality with maintenance and repairs within our jurisdiction. These are measures needed to improve service delivery that would spare the municipality’s already thinly-stretched dime.
I want to conclude this budget speech by reiterating the following:
We are not in the business of wasting taxpayers’ dime, but rather find sustainable ways to improve lives and making each cent worthy of its spending. Each one of us here have a responsibility towards all our communities to convey our financial stance, when asked to do so. We need to become in the habit of healthy financial decisions and accountability.
Wasteful and or irregular expenditure must become something of the past – and should not be allowed into our plans of economic growth for our region. As an elected Council and all its committees, we have proven that we can uplift this organisation.
And, as the Mayor of the Nama Khoi Local Municipality, it is a privilege to serve my communities and this entity.
Thank you.
Last modified: June 21, 2022
