Cape Town - The Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality has informed Parliament that discussions on the election of the Mayor by the council are due to be finalised by the end of June.
The municipality briefed the Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs on its Covid-19 response plan on Thursday.
In the presentation by the municipality’s acting Mayor Thsonono Buyeye, Faith Muthambi, committee chairperson said they noted that the municipality experienced leadership challenges after the removal of fomer mayor Mongameli Bobani in December last year. Since then, the position has been filled on an acting basis.
The municipality also informed the committee that it was owed around R350m by the government departments in property rates and service charges. Due to Covid-19, the municipality said it forecasts a reduction in revenue collection from the ratepayers and residents, something which would have a negative impact on the delivery of services to the people.
According to the municipality, it has applied to the National Treasury to utilise R231m of the Urban Settlement Development Grant to implement its Covid-19 Response Plan which included the provision of temporary houses in overcrowded informal settlements areas, chemical toilets, water standpipes and sanitisers and personal protective equipment.
In addition to the R231m, the municipality revealed that it has received R233m as a disaster relief assistance due to the recent drought. The money was set to be spent on municipal projects that respond to Covid-19.
The committee cautioned the municipality against underspending at the end of the financial year, and urged the municipality to strike a fair balance between its day to day service delivery responsibility and the implementation of its Covid-19 response plan.