Several political parties in Nelson Mandela Bay have laid the blame for missing a crucial deadline to pass the 2022/2023 annual budget squarely on the shoulders of the ANC.
According to legislation, the budget and Integrated Development Plan (IDP) were meant to be passed before the end of May.
But the council is yet to do so.
Parties are also yet to debate the budget in the treasury portfolio committee and mayoral committee, which has not sat since February.
Officials and politicians had a Zoom meeting with the National Treasury on Monday and the budget was discussed.
The DA, DOP, GOOD, AIC, AIM, FF+, PAC, ACDP and UDM have all complained about the missed deadline.
However, ANC councillor and chief whip Wandisile Jikeka said parties that blamed the ANC were playing politics.
“The mayor [Eugene Johnson] has written to the National Treasury asking for an extension ... and the extension was granted.
“Last Monday, there was a meeting with the National Treasury and they agreed that the budget was ready to go to council though there were issues to iron out,” Jikeka said.
He said the budget would be debated in the treasury portfolio committee before it was tabled before the council.
Jikeka could not say when this would happen.
DOP councillor and budget and treasury portfolio head Tukela Zumani said the budgeting process was delayed due to IDP public participation meetings.
“In my opinion, this emanates from the current political jostling that has crippled the municipality’s ability to get things done and on time,” he said.
“I must confess that this administration has been synonymous with missed deadlines and flawed legislative processes.
“This is something that I hope the mayor is taking very seriously and is working hard to resolve.”
Zumani said the final IDP meeting was held on Friday.
He has since issued an instruction to officials in the budget and treasury department to schedule a joint meeting with the mayoral committee.
He said the department was expecting a letter from the National Treasury following Monday’s meeting.
Zumani said the National Treasury had also raised issues with the state of affairs in the metro.
“This includes, among other issues, the prevalent trend of delayed legislative processes.
“The National Treasury has indicated to the mayor its intentions to write formal communication to the municipality in this regard.
“Such communications from the National Treasury will have catastrophic implications for the metro,” he said.
Should the council fail to pass the budget by June 30 — as the new financial year kicks in on July 1 — co-operative governance MEC Xolile Nqatha would have to intervene.
Section 139 of the constitution states that if a municipality does not fulfil its obligation to approve a budget, the provincial executive must take steps to ensure the budget is approved, including dissolving the municipal council.
If the council is dissolved, an administrator would have to be appointed and a temporary budget approved, and fresh elections would then have to be held within three months.
The budget process was delayed after the council adopted the 2021/2022 adjustments budget in late April.
This saw Johnson only table the 2022/2023 budget and the IDP on April 26.
GOOD councillor Lawrence Troon said Johnson should go as the city did not have a mayor with leadership qualities.
“In a Zoom meeting on Monday, the National Treasury told us to deal with the acting city manager and city manager issue.
“The National Treasury said they will not give a single cent until this problem is sorted out.”
Noxolo Nqwazi is currently city manager and Anele Qaba is acting city manager.
The court ordered the council to resolve the impasse, but it has yet to do so.
Troon said the political and looming financial crisis was Johnson’s fault.
“The last time we met as a mayoral committee was in February.
“We will never be led by an ANC mayor again. It was catastrophic.”
Johnson could not be reached for comment, with her spokesperson, Tango Lamani, referring questions to municipal spokesperson Mthubanzi Mniki, who also could not be reached for comment.
DA councillor Rano Kayser wrote to Johnson on Monday, saying he was concerned that the legislative period was drawing to a close.
“Of concern is that in order for a budget to receive cross-party support to ensure its approval, consultation between parties would be required.
“No consultation between your government and other political parties has taken place.
“It is my humble request that you convene an urgent consultation meeting so that this matter can be discussed and a solution sought to ensure that the metro does not fall short of legislative deadlines,” he wrote.
AIC councillor Thsonono Buyeye said it was obvious the municipality would miss the deadline.
“There has also been a deliberate ploy to make sure that the city is non-compliant on many fronts so we can have the interventions that we read about.”
AIM councillor Mkhuseli Jack said the current state of affairs was regrettable.
“It is driven by total insensitivity to the hardship cries of our people.
“As I said weeks ago, the ANC has regrettably pegged all its fortunes and those of the metro to the illegal appointment of [Noxolo] Nqwazi,” Jack said.
FF+ councillor Bill Harrington said the ANC must be held responsible.
“The FF+ has previously highlighted that the budget must be addressed and discussed in council.”
PAC councillor Bassie Kamana said his party was deeply concerned.
“These setbacks have a negative effect on service delivery and the core business of local government.
“We will persuade our colleagues to look at the broader picture instead of their preoccupation with interparty mudslinging.”
Northern Alliance councillor Gary Van Niekerk said the party was working around the clock to ensure that the budget was passed before the end of July.
“However, we are cognisant of the fact that we need many other parties to put the interests of the metro first in order to do so,” Van Niekerk said.
UDM councillor Luxolo Namete said the delays were a “shame and a disgrace” to residents, with the ANC to blame.
“We have a mayor who is useless and incompetent. She is failing to do a simple thing which is to call a council meeting.”
ACDP councillor Lance Grootboom said he was concerned that the delay would raise issues around compliance.
“There is a clear indication that the mayor does not know what she is doing,” Grootboom said.
Patriotic Alliance national chair Marlon Daniels said he placed the blame squarely on the DA, before calling for the city to be placed under administration.
“Anybody not attending council meetings when budgets must be passed must take responsibility for the situation that the metro finds itself in.
“[Nqatha] must come down hard on Nelson Mandela Bay.
“If I had my way, I would place the city under section 139 of the constitution,” Daniels said.
HeraldLIVE