Local News
24 things from Mangaung's budget that will affect you─── REFILWE GAESWE 12:29 Fri, 26 Jun 2015
Pre-paid water meters, 10% electricity tariff hike, smart street lights, biggest skate park in SA, three new malls AND much more!
Mangaung Metro Municipality Mayor Thabo Manyoni tabled his 2015/16 budget speech vote on Thursday at the Bloemfontein City Hall.
Some of the financial plans Manyoni highlighted for Mangaung are:
• Introduction of automated and pre-paid water meters in July this year to intensify the implementation of water demand management to ensure credible water billing by reducing the use of estimates.
• Mangaung’s budget has increased by nearly 15% from the 2015/16 financial year. Manyoni explains that the total revenue budget is R7.49 billion.
• Electricity services charges’ budget is R2.411 billion.
• Refuse removal is at R93.13 million.
• Sewerage tariffs to be increased by 7 percent for residential and 7.5 percent for non-residential properties for 2015/16.
• Electricity tariffs will be increased by 10 percent from July this year.
• Budget for salaries, wages and allowances will increase by 25 percent.
• Manyoni further told hundreds of Mangaung residents that attended the event that the municipality has appointed new contractors to eradicate VIP toilets. He says the project is for the value of R730 million.
He further added the following information:
• Two new waste water treatment works in Botshabelo and Thaba Nchu to the value of R450 million. • Bloemspruit sewer plant was overstretched and in an attempt to comply with Green Drop standard issued by the National Department of Water Affairs and Sanitation, they will invest R125 million to refurbish the sewer plant.
• Maphisa Road in Mangaung is currently under construction and will represent the phase one of the Integrated Public Transport Network (IPTN) comprising Bus Rapid Transport and Non-Motorised Transport Initiatives.
• R186.93 million will be spent to upgrade informal settlement in the municipal areas by reticulation services( water, sanitation and street lights).
• Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality’s total assets is currently valued at R14,3 billion.
• Mangaung will invest R1.14 billion for a reservoir in Botshabelo, Maselspoort refurbishment at R216 million, water recycling programme of R223.70 million and R31 million for a feasibility study and detailed designs for the Gariep Dam pipeline.
• R24 million to revitalize and re-engineer Bloemfontein’s Old Power Station.
• The World Bank rated the city as the country’s leading municipality for connection of electricity services. He says R117 million has been provided for electricity connections to about 10 270 households since 2011. Electricity connections in Mangaung currently sit at 99 percent.
• Centlec will spend R975.07 million in providing and extending electricity services to households. Smart streetlights will be implemented to ease the burden of load-shedding and contribute towards the reduction of carbon-footprint in the country.
• R33 million will be invested for the biggest skate park in South Africa, the park will be the phase two of the Thaba Nchu regional park.
• R67 million to build animal enclosures and installation of reticulation services at the zoo’s new premises. • Three malls will be built at Botshabelo Section H, China Town and Lemo Mall in Bloemfontein to improve its economic profile.
• Seisa Ramabodu Stadium will be named Petrus Molemela Stadium.
• Mangaung’s assessment rate of 6 percent is the lowest increase among all the metros in the country at 0.61 cent. • Manyoni expressed his concerned regarding the Edge Restaurant based at the Naval Hill in Bloemfontein and said he wished matters still delaying the restaurant to start operating should be sped up.
Refilwe Gaeswe/OFM News
