GTM owed R1 Billion in rates

■ Joe Dreyer

As protocol dictates, there will be another public participation process held in May to discuss the new proposed Integrated Development Plan (IDP) and the new Budget for the new fiscal year. The DA in Tzaneen have requested that all role players and members of the public participate in this process as there are, according to them, some concerns regarding the newly tabled budget and IDP.

The IDP adopted by the council of a municipality is the principal strategic planning instrument which guides and informs all planning and development decision making. The IDP is intended to provide an opportunity for residents to put forward their specific needs in line with the development and growth of their town.

The projects within the IDP are also linked to the municipality’s budget and is a vital living document that relies on the continued input of residents and the support of the Council.

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On Thursday, the 30th of March, the DA caucus rejected the IDP as well as the budget tabled during a council meeting. According to the DA caucus leader, René Pohl, the IDP and Draft Budget processes have become a tick box exercise for the ANC-led Greater Tzaneen Municipality (GTM) and do not meet the required standards.

“This is because it was an indiscriminate budget similar to the previous budget and was not project based,” Pohl stated. “The IDP Project phase was not done according to GRAP (Generally Recognised Accounting Practice) and was incomplete due to indispensable projects to address the ongoing failure to provide the residents with basic services under Section 152 of the Constitution. There is an incomplete pump maintenance project, a safety and security strategic infrastructure project, a helpdesk for reporting project and a performance management project.”

Pohl said that despite objections by the DA to the Draft IDP and Budget during the EXCO meeting prior to the council sitting, the items were nevertheless placed on the agenda without changes.

“It is clear the deployed ANC cadres in Tzaneen are not interested in improving the quality of life for all residents. If the amendments are not made as suggested by the DA, further action will be taken to ensure the needs of the community are addressed.”

Furthermore, Bulletin has learned that the GTM cannot adequately recover the rates and taxes owed to them monthly by homeowners in their municipality. We received information that the total amount of rates and taxes owed to the GTM is now more than R1, 032 Billion. We have also regularly received copies of account statements showing homeowners with accounts in arrears by more than R200 000.

We sent an inquiry to the spokesperson of the GTM to find out why these homeowners have not had their services cut off, why the accounts have been allowed to run into these exorbitant amounts and which contractor they appointed to handle the collection of the monthly rates and taxes.

It has been two weeks and we have not yet received a response on the matter.