The 2022/23 budget of the Kouga municipality, that was approved by council today, highlights the strong focus of this DA government on water security and avoiding Day Zero.
The budget was tabled and approved with the municipality’s Integrated Development Plan (IDP) for the period 2022 to 2027.
In spite of the difficult economic circumstances in South Africa, the Kouga municipality, under the leadership of Executive Mayor, DA Cllr Horatio Hendricks, has adopted a budget which highlights how good and prudent financial management can turn the fortunes of a municipality around.
The 2022/23 Budget amounts to R1,203 billion, comprising of R1,163 billion for the Operating Budget, and R39,685 million for the Capital Budget.
The municipality’s commitment to avoiding Day Zero is highlighted by the fact that 89,2% of the Capital Budget, or R35,567 million, is allocated to the Infrastructure and Engineering Directorate.
Kouga has already taken great strides to mitigate the impact of a looming Day Zero. These include:
- More than R200 million spent on drought mitigation water augmentation.
- 38 viable boreholes connected in total to date.
- R12,5 million recently secured from the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) to develop and equip four further boreholes in Humansdorp.
- Water tanks installed at Hankey, Pellsrus Hall, Aston Bay Hall, Jeffreys Bay Fire Station and the St Francis Bay Fire Station
- Water-flow restrictors installed at the homes of 200 high-water users across the region.
The municipality now plans to bring even more boreholes online to achieve water security in the region. Kouga will also turn its attention towards the ocean for desalination and more reverse osmosis plants to purify existing borehole supplies.
These successes stand in stark contrast with the failures of the ANC-led coalition government in Nelson Mandela Bay, where the City is on the verge of becoming the first Metro in the world to run out of water.
The only mitigation plan in place is to provide water tanks and tankers and communal taps. Residents will have to stand in queues for up to five hours to collect 25 litres of water from these facilities.
The DA will continue to make progress in the Kouga municipality and will deliver services and provide good, clean and corruption-free governance to its people.