The Executive Mayor of the Municipality, Olly Mlamleli, tabled the budget earlier today during a Special Council Sitting. 

The EFF, on the other hand, demanded that the house addresses the issues raised by the workers on strike before the budget can be adopted. 

EFF Councillor, Tsholo Ranchobe, says the budget tabled by the Mayor should be referred back to the committee, because it does not take into consideration the workers of the municipality. They alleged that the budget speaks about projects that have been referred to social services, environmental affairs, and infrastructure, while these committees have actually never sat, questioning how conclusions were reached.

 “The EFF rejects the agenda and everything within it, precisely because the committees have not met. There is an element that this house is undermining the workers of this municipality. The people who are going to implement these things that are tabled in this budget are the workers. We need them and if they are not satisfied there will be no implementation of these things, then we’re just thumbsucking, sitting here.”

Ranchobe said the budget is a wish list for as long as the proper channels are not followed and workers are not prioritised. 

The DA’s Cllr. David Mosoeu added that the municipal budget should reflect the needs and the input of the community. He says there is instability within the municipality and that there is no economic development and rural development within the ANC-led metro. “Sewage and water are running in the streets of Mangaung”. 

Mosoeu says the ANC-run Mangaung Metro currently can’t buy fuel for vehicles and fails to collect refuse. 

OFM News/Katleho Morapela