The City of Johannesburg will spend about R1,4-billion over the next four years to prepare for the 2010 Soccer World Cup, executive mayor Amos Masondo said on Wednesday.
In presenting the city’s budget for the 2005/06 financial year, Masondo said the R18,9-billion spending plan was influenced by the city’s aim to become a world-class African city.
It was also shaped by the six mayoral priorities, namely good governance, economic development, job creation, inner-city regeneration, public safety, excellent service delivery and the fight against HIV/Aids.
Masondo said as part of preparations for the 2010 World Cup, R20-million has been allocated to Ellis Park and R15-million to Nasrec.
The upgrading of the Dobsonville and Orlando stadiums received R18,5-million.
The visibility of metro police will be increased with funds allocated for 200 new municipal police officers to be appointed in July and another 126 from January 2006.
The new appointees will be given an extra 100 motor vehicles.
Provision was also made to increase staff numbers at the city’s emergency management services (EMS) with 100 firefighters and emergency medical technicians and 15 fire-safety inspectors. In addition, R3-million will be spent on improving the communications between the EMS control centre and ambulance crews.
A further R5-million will go towards appointing additional environmental health officers.
Libraries will benefit, with R2-million allocated to buying books.
Masondo said the capital budget of R2,8-billion is the highest it has been in 10 years.
Of this, R675-million will go to City Power to upgrade the city’s ageing power network.
Water was allocated the second-highest funding, R556-million, while roads will get R261-million and housing a R234-million investment in capital spending.
An operational budget of R16,1-billion was tabled. City Power and Joburg Water will receive the highest portions of this, at R3,6-billion and R3,1-billion respectively.
The budget introduces new rates tariffs, with property rates increasing by 4% (2% less than the previously announced 6%), water and sanitation by 7,7%, electricity by 6,2% and refuse by 4,7%.
Masondo said more than R176,2-million in service arrears has been written off so far. This included about R35,5-million written off against water and R35,6-million against electricity.
”The preliminary analysis indicated that people who have most benefited from this programme are pensioners (61%), the unemployed (23%), disabled people (8%) and low-income earners (8%),” Masondo said in a speech prepared for delivery at the tabling of the budget. — Sapa