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While the people of the Inxuba Yethemba Municipality (IYM) suffer and service delivery has come to a grinding halt, the ANC has passed an illegal budget that wastes millions on new vehicles and salary increases for cadres.

Yesterday, 31 May 2023, at a council meeting the ANC unilaterally passed the 2023/2024 budget and the Speaker refused to allow for a vote by political parties The DA’s call for a division on the budget was also rejected.

The Speaker failed to follow the rules of order of council in dealing with the budget item vote.

Despite residents suffering under constant water and electricity outages due to infrastructure failures, and raw sewage flowing in the streets, the ANC approved a 15% electricity hike and made only 4% of the budget available for repairs and maintenance.

Despite the streets being riddled with potholes and residents incurring massive damage to their vehicles, the ANC approved spending R1.4 million on procuring two new luxury vehicles for the Mayor and the Speaker.

Despite rising unemployment and children going to bed hungry, municipal employees are receiving a 6% pay increase for not delivering quality services.

I have referred this issue to the DA EC Shadow MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA), Dr Vicky Knoetze, to take the matter up with the COGTA MEC, Zolile Williams.

Dr Knoetze has confirmed that she will be writing to the COGTA portfolio committee chairperson and MEC Williams to urgently deploy a delegation to visit the municipality and meet with top management and councillors.

The municipality continues to demonstrate a disregard for municipal legislation and complete disrespect for the interests of the community of Inxuba Yethemba.

The DA will not allow this to continue and stand idly by while the ANC brings further hardship to a municipality that was once the thriving hub of the Karoo.

Issued by Kobus Botha MPL - EC Midlands Constituency Leader