The Tshwane Executive Mayor, Mr Solly Msimanga, recently presented his budget adjustments to council which is aimed at benefiting the poor.
The Mayor said in the local government elections, his administration promised voters that the City will deliver quality services through sustainable finances.
He emphasized on adopting innovative solutions to challenges faced by the city and prioritizing the resources where they are needed the most.
He said the budget was prioritized to speed up some of the projects and to accommodate some of the unforeseen and unavoidable expenditure.
The Mayor said there are currently existing projects in Soshanguve such as RDP housing for the poor and explained that no new projects are underway, as the City cannot add a new project to an existing one. “The Budget Adjustments is to move money from one project to another under the main project,” he said.
Local residents expressed their views regarding the Mayor’s vision of prioritizing the poor.
Lucas Msiza says that if the mayor is an honest man, he will deliver his promise to the people. “If he was able to realise how black people in poor communities struggle with service delivery and housing, I trust that he will act upon his word,” he said.
Madhlangobe said the Mayor is on the right track because his budget will favour the poor. “I think he has to find people who represent him on every project, individuals who will check up on progress and quality of work or tenders on a regular basis,” he said.
Madhlagobe went on further to say that Msimanga sounds like a man who will stop corruption.
He said service delivery has been an issue for a number of years affected by corruption leading to people not receiving quality service delivery.
“The local municipalities are responsible for the service delivery within their communities; however, people still raise issues of water and sanitation as well as housing as the main problems,” he said.
