The City of Johannesburg has assured the Gauteng Executive Council (EXCO) that it will comply with the council’s directive to pass a municipal budget by Friday.
The City failed to pass its annual budget last Wednesday.
Gauteng Cooperative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA) MEC, Lebogang Maile, says the failure to pass a budget will impact the City’s residents negatively.
“In terms of the law we are compelled as the Provincial Executive Council to intervene and that’s why on Saturday, we had a meeting and came to a conclusion that we must give a directive that they must conclude the process by the 10th of July. In between, if they have not yet finalised the budget, they will have to subject whatever expenditure they want to the MEC for Finance, who in terms of the law, has the authority to approve interim expenditure,” explains Maile.
Municipal Mayor Geoff Makhubo has welcomed the directives.
Mayoral spokesperson Mlimandela Ndamase says, “The Mayor does welcome the direction and the guidance that has been provided by the province. The council will be sitting within the required time frames and the Mayor is confident that council will be able to pass a budget. In addition, it will continue with the important matters before it, which is service the residence of the City of Johannesburg and to support the most vulnerable within the City. More especially within this particular moment in time of this COVID-19 pandemic.”
[STATEMENT]: Response to the interventions by the Gauteng Provincial Executive Council to pass the City of Johannesburg Budget within the timelines provided pic.twitter.com/09s5LsTwob
— Geoff Makhubo (@GeoffMakhubo) July 6, 2020
