Latest news with #MunicipalPublicAccountsCommittee
The Citizen
a day ago
- Politics
- The Citizen
DA opposes additional R184m funding for Polokwane Softball Stadium
Quick read The DA in Polokwane has opposed an additional R184 million allocation to complete the international softball stadium. The project is jointly funded by the municipality and the Limpopo Department of Sport, Arts and Culture. R69 million has already been spent since the stadium's initial approval in the 2019/20 financial year. The DA says co-funding the project will strain other capital projects funded through the Integrated Urban Development Grant. Projects at risk include roads, waste facilities, electrical upgrades, and rural sports infrastructure. Delays have been caused by vandalism, COVID-19, business forum disruptions, and cash flow problems. Full story below Full story POLOKWANE – The DA in Polokwane has voiced its opposition to the additional R184m in funding allocated for the completion of the Polokwane Softball Stadium. Read more: Polokwane Softball Stadium gets R184m boost after years of delays The municipality confirmed last week that the municipal council and the Limpopo Department of Sport, Arts and Culture have pooled resources to finalise the long-delayed project, with completion anticipated in early 2026. According to municipal spokesperson Mantlako Sebaka, the stadium has already cost the municipality R69m approved during the 2019/20 financial year. In 2023, the DA said it actively opposed the municipality's co-funding of over R90m, warning that the expenditure would affect other capital projects funded through the Integrated Urban Development Grant. These projects include road upgrades, waste transfer stations, electrical infrastructure, and the development of rural sports facilities. DA councillor Jacques Joubert reiterated the party's stance, saying the project has been plagued by challenges, including vandalism, business forum stoppages, Covid-19 delays, and cash flow issues. He added that in 2023, the projected cost of completing the stadium was estimated at over R251m, which the party viewed as unrealistic for the municipality's financial capacity. Sebaka said the current project scope includes the completion of general external works, the grandstand, mechanical and electrical installations, and the roof. Joubert added that the DA has requested the Municipal Public Accounts Committee to investigate possible poor planning and financial mismanagement related to the project. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
IOL News
11-06-2025
- Politics
- IOL News
Malema looks to revive support base in KZN with Youth Day rally
EFF leader Julius Malema EFF is expected to address supporters in Durban on Sunday at the party's national Youth Day event. Image: Phando Jikelo/Parliament of SA EFF leader Julius Malema is expected to address supporters in Durban on Sunday at the party's national Youth Day event as it looks to rejuvenate its support in KwaZulu-Natal ahead of next year's local government elections. The event will be held at King Zwelithini stadium in Umlazi, with the EFF saying it wants to pay a special focus on Umlazi to increase its seats in the eThekwini Municipality. The party has tasked its eThekwini councillor Thami Xuma, who also chairs the Municipal Public Accounts Committee, to work on the ground in Umlazi to ensure that the party retains the almost 28,000 votes it received in the 2021 local government elections. Umlazi is the province's biggest township, with a population of close to a million. On Tuesday Xuma said that the party had identified Umlazi as a potential area where it can get more votes to boost its numbers in eThekwini in next year's local government elections. He said the party wants to do well in all municipalities in the province, but eThekwini was crucial as it is the only Metro and has a big budget. 'Umlazi is the biggest township in the province so as a pro-poor party we have decided to target the township to sell our pro-poor policies. There are many people who still live in poor conditions in the informal settlements here, those are our people who resonate with our pro-poor policies so I will be here until elections next year engaging with them and listening to their problems,' said Xuma. Out of 168, 000 votes the party received in the 2021 elections which gave the party 24 seats in eThekwini, Umlazi contributed about 30 000. However, in last year's general election, the party dropped to 11,000 votes in eThekwini. The party performed badly in last year's national general elections which prompted the national leadership to sack the provincial secretary Nkululeko Ngubane and provincial treasurer Wakeni Chuma last month. Ngubane was replaced by Vukani Ndlovu who is also a councillor in eThekwini. A source in the party said its poor performance last year was attributed to the lack of leadership that resonated and appealed to traditionalists - other parties like the MK Party and the IFP has this in Jacob Zuma and Velenkosini Hlabisa respectively. 'This is a very complex province. You may have good policies here, however, that alone will not help because people here also look at your personality and see whether you are part of them or not,' said a source. [email protected]
Daily Maverick
04-06-2025
- Business
- Daily Maverick
Nelson Mandela Bay faces electricity crisis: proposed 12.8% tariff hike sparks controversy
Citing spiralling non-technical electricity losses, the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality's application for a 12.8% electricity tariff increase has revealed that the metro's electricity department will not generate any revenue or surpluses this year. However, there is some relief for old-age homes and residents of housing estates and residential complexes. 'The phenomenon of increasing electricity bulk purchases and spiralling decreases in electricity sales has reached unprecedented levels, to the point where the electricity service has become unable to generate its own revenue or any surpluses as per the historical model for this service,' the Nelson Mandela Bay municipality stated in its application to the National Energy Regulator of SA (Nersa) for an increase of 12.8% across the board for all categories of electricity users. The metro's non-revenue electricity losses for the financial year that ended in March 2025 stood at R1.049-billion, caused by factors including meter tampering and illegal connections. The draft budget for the metro, which was noted last week by the city council and was scheduled to be debated on Thursday, 5 June, also stated that the electricity department would have to be subsidised by municipal rates to remain viable. Opposition parties said the electricity department would bankrupt the city if a successful turnaround plan were not implemented. Earlier this year, the metro's executive mayor, Babalwa Lobishe, tried unsuccessfully to have R449.8-million relating to 30 tenders in the electricity department written off without the matter being investigated by the Municipal Public Accounts Committee. Nersa has, this year, decided to make all the municipal applications for electricity price increases public and has asked that the public send their comments. 'Nersa requires that all municipalities calculate their electricity tariffs based on the costs incurred in supplying customers,' said Nersa spokesperson Charles Hlabela. This is a legal requirement in line with a high court ruling obtained by the Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber. 'This requirement will be enforced to all municipalities for their 2025/26 electricity tariffs. Should the municipality fail to comply with this requirement, it will face a risk of having its tariffs not approved,' said Hlabela. He said Nersa valued input from all stakeholders and would consider written submissions alongside a thorough analysis of each application. Further issues were also touched on by the metro in its application. In its motivation for the electricity tariff increase, the municipality stated: 'The business of the Electricity and Energy Directorate is continuously plagued by a scourge in electricity theft, tampering and illegal connections as well as tariffs which were historically not cost reflective.' The metro, which derives R7.5-billion a year from electricity sales, said two main factors had led to the increase: Eskom bulk purchases had been increased by 12.74%; and Municipal salaries had been increased by 7.75% in line with the collective bargaining agreement. The metro said it was gearing up to implement an advanced metering infrastructure programme to reduce energy losses, improve revenue protection and enhance operational control. Some relief It offered some relief for residents of residential complexes and old-age homes, who had been incorrectly billed under the industrial and commercial bulk supply tariff, 'despite the actual end-user being classified as a residential customer in the NMBM Consolidated Billing System. 'This also comes as a direct result of numerous complaints received from this cohort of customers who deemed the current tariffs unfair, as they were being treated in the same way as businesses due to the tariff structure.' The application acknowledged that 'preventative maintenance and innovative switching methods can be game changers, ensuring that the system can handle fluctuating demand while reducing unexpected failures. 'A proactive approach could also lead to efficiencies in resource allocation as preventative maintenance often costs less than reactive repairs.' However, the application continued, 'It is unfortunately not possible to increase the Repairs & Maintenance Funding Allocation to the desired level.' The metro promised to do so within the next three years. It said there was no 'growing interest' from private generators or businesses looking to take advantage of wheeling arrangements. 'Illegal connections, tampering with metering equipment, infrastructure vandalism and access to properties are the dominant challenges faced in some of the electrification areas. Customer education, awareness interventions, audits and replacement of illegal connections with legal connections continue to receive special attention. 'The influx of people migrating to the metro and the associated need for accommodation result most of the time in the illegal construction of informal housing, contributing to the Electrification Programme complexity,' said the metro in its application. DM
