Africa-Press – South-Africa. It was a delicate balancing act: On the one side was its aim to turn things around in the embattled eThekwini metro and avoid being put under administration, and on the other was its attempt to ensure that tariffs were not increased exceedingly amid tough economic conditions.
In the end, the R65.5-billion budget Mayor Mxolisi Kaunda tabled for the metro on Wednesday, which he described as “pro-poor”, received the nod from the majority party, so much so that councillors danced and sang in jubilation.
Kaunda said although the City “feels the pain” for residents, tariffs had to increase due to global economic conditions and other factors.
The eThekwini metro is in the clutches of a Section 154 intervention by the national government after a string of governance issues.
If the metro’s authorities don’t buckle down and turn things around, the metro could be put under administration.
Kaunda dished out R953 million for human settlements in eThekwini, which has almost 600 informal settlements.
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