Councillors around Ekurhuleni gathered at the Germiston Council Chamber for the first 2020 meeting on January 29.
The mayor of Ekurhuleni, Mzwandile Masina, said to date, many indigent households have been registered, of which nearly 50 000 were registered through the Indigent Management System.
“The metro continues to shoulder the cost of R4-billion for the social package – a commitment we made in our pro-poor programme when we assumed office.
“The social package of indigent relief is made of 100 per cent rebate on assessment rates, free refuse removal, first 100kWh of electricity per month is free.
“This is more than the provision made by the national government policy and the City bears the costs for the difference, first 9kl of water and sewer per month is free, special rates on emergency services, such as ambulance and firefighting, and free indigent burial.”
He said the metro continues to provide the first 6kl of water and sanitation for free to all households with a property value of R750 000 or less.
To date, the indigent database has over 112 000 and the qualifying income threshold remains R5 090 or less per household.
The mayor started his speech on a somber note by extending his deepest condolences to the Jansen family from Germiston who found the body of their 15-year-old child in a bush.
The Grade Nine learner from Graceland Education Centre in Elsburg was stabbed and raped.
Masina said these killings of women should be a reminder to everyone in government that they have an urgent obligation to end gender-based violence and to protect women and children in order to make freedom a reality.
“The City has approved a Cost Containment Policy which has influenced contractual procurement processes.
“The appointment of contractors have, in the previous financial year, been in alignment with market rates through conducting market rate analyses to ensure rates are reasonable.”
He said they have done this to ensure all municipal funds are spent where citizens receive value.
“Our collection rate in the second quarter ended on December 31 and was also satisfactory, albeit slightly less than our intended target. The rate stood at 93.46 per cent against a target of 94 per cent.
“This is reflective of some minor challenges to service charges, specifically as it relates to water and refuse revenue.
‘The actual income from water sales, at R178-million less than the budget of R2.435-b for the 2019/20 mid-year, represents a deviation of seven per cent. But the main contributing factor to the negative deviation is the reduction in water sales to industrial customers,” Masina said.
The auditor-general recently released its audit findings on the City of Ekurhuleni. The City achieved the following highlights:
- The City of Ekurhuleni achieved an unqualified audit for the financial year 2018/2019.
- The City received a clean audit on financial statements.
- The City incurred zero unauthorised, fruitless and wasteful expenditure (for the second consecutive year).
- Irregular expenditure has decreased from R215-m in the previous financial year to R5-m in the 2018/2019 annual review.
- The collection rate stood at 91 per cent for the financial year in review.
- The City has complied with 30 days’ payment of all invoices.
- Capex expenditure for the year stood at 94.31 per cent.
- Overall grant funding spending for the year is 94 per cent.
- Cash-on-hand for the year is at R3.5-b.
- The City has performed very well on cost-containment worth R138.6-m for year under review.
- Management of both water and electricity losses are both below national standards.
- The City achieved a 70 per cent reduction in the number of non-compliance paragraphs recorded in the audit report.
- The City continues to shoulder the cost of a social package of R4-b per annum.
