Africa-Press – South-Africa. The Johannesburg Council on Wednesday night approved the repositioning of the Metropolitan Trading Company (MTC) to the transport department.
The 13th Ordinary Sitting of the Council went on until 21:00 after a day of caucus breaks interrupted the 19 items on the list.
The urgent report to move the MTC was item 18 – and the vote took place at 20:30.
The MTC is the procurement entity for projects such as wifi and the CCTV system.
The entity was previously under the economic development department – and it was recently allocated an operating expenditure budget of R594 million as well as a three-year capital budget of R21 million.
The MMC for Transport is Kenny Kunene of the Patriotic Alliance.
The urgent report to the council, by Tsumbo Nephawe of Group Governance, does not mention a reason for the move, but details how the MTC is part of the City’s vision for information communication technology.
He said the “strategic decision to invest in the development of the Johannesburg Broadband Network” was a “critical factor in the City’s development through access to economic opportunities, knowledge and greater access to services”.
Nephawe said the MTC’s role was to perform any municipal services assigned to it.
“It is proposed that the MTC be under the administrative and functional supervision of the transportation department, while maintaining constitution and service delivery mandate, as per the current service delivery agreement between MTC and the City.”
Members of the DA-led opposition said the move was done “for the wrong reasons”.
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