Ekurhuleni Mayor commits to financial stability in the metro

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The recently appointed Mayor of Ekurhuleni Nkosindiphile Xhakaza says they are committed to stabilizing the city’s finances and enhancing service delivery.

Xhakaza addressed the media in Germiston yesterday, about the newly appointed MMC of Finance and service delivery in Ekurhuleni.

The Mayor pointed out that the metro has recently received an unqualified audit opinion due to political instability and the change in mayors in the coalition government.

Xhakaza says the multi-party government will ensure that they turn the City’s finances around and achieve a clean audit again.

“This journey, though filled with challenges, has been marked by significant strides towards restoring service delivery and rebuilding public trust in our local government. When I assumed office, our City was at a critical juncture. We have also focused on strengthening our City’s financial stability and shifted our focus towards revenue enhancement. Through better management and increased capital spending, we are on a path to sustainable financial health. This is important for supporting our ongoing and future development projects,” says Xhakaza.

Newly elected Ekurhuleni Finance MMC, Jongizizwe Dlabathi, discussed the metro’s budget and how much will be allocated to different departments.

“The total revenue for the 2024/2025 fiscal year is projected to be R60.67 billion, an increase from the revised budget of R55.56 billion for 2023/24. This growth is essential to support our ambitious development plans and to ensure the delivery of quality services to our residents. On the expenditure side, we have budgeted R60.07 billion for 2024/25, this includes significant investments in infrastructure, social services, and community development.”

Previously, service delivery shortfalls in the Ekurhuleni Municipality were attributed to irregular expenditure of funds.

Dlabathi vowed to clamp down on fruitless and wasteful expenditure in the metro.

“We will deal with the issue of recovering as well as rebuilding a strong financial position of the City. You will know that for some time, we have raised concerns over the financial position of the City. We are now at the helm to ensure that we bring about financial sustainability,” he adds.