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JULY 30, 2021 012-842-0300 Tshwane metro says budget cuts won’t affect service delivery households were earmarked Sinesipho Schrieber for the installation of pre-paid Even though it has improved metres in the next three years. its revenue collection to “We have been having above 90% over the past four regular engagements with months, the Tshwane metro institutional investors is still facing tough economic and development fi nance times and thus plans on further institutions and banks to budget cuts. ensure we communicate to Recently, the municipality them how we are stabilising manager called on department the city’s fi nances,” he said. heads to review their budgets Griffi ths dismissed claims and identify non-essential made by the ANC this week projects to be cut. that the metro has not paid These cuts should not service providers over the past exceed 50%, it said. three months as they struggle Currently, the metro’s with funds. operating budget stands at “We have made it a top R39-billion. priority to ensure we do not Consistent downgrades by default on any of our debt Moody’s, the international obligations. A commitment rating agency, over the that we delivered at the end past months also crippled of the last fi nancial year in the municipality’s new June 2021 much to the praise construction and renovation of the City’s major lending projects after it could not institutions,” he said. secure a R1.5-billion long- “The ANC’s claims are term loan. baseless, which is why they Tiny Mahlangu (62) from section 12 in Mamelodi East. Tshwane acting chief of staff have not been entertained by Jordan Griffi ths was, however, the media. Since returning to confi dent that the proposed the offi ce, we have prioritised further budget cuts would not service delivery, fi xing aff ect core service delivery. thousands of streetlights, “We have zero intentions potholes, water leaks and of compromising core service electricity outages.” Pensioner wants delivery and operations in the The ANC also claimed the municipality,” he said. municipality used money “That is why the savings meant for water supply in are being derived from non- townships, for payment of essential areas so that we can service providers to prioritise focus on the core services in buying a substation for the city. Wapadrand, which had power her RDP house issues after a fi re broke out last “We take fi scal management “There is no set house meant for Gauteng Department of Human week. Stephen Selaluke any benefi ciary. She may, however, Settlements for what is referred to as seriously. Since returning to the offi ce, we have focused all Griffi ths maintained that A Mamelodi pensioner has accused advise us of the reason why she an override. the funds allocated for “corrupt metro offi cials” of selling believes the site was or is hers.” “Ms Mahlangu will thus be our eff orts on stabilising the City’s fi nancial position.” Wapadrand’s refurbishment her RDP house, but the Tshwane Mashigo said although Mahlangu allowed to have her subsidy would come from insurance. metro says the house in question was was indeed registered in the national application processed still. One of the ways the metro intended to accomplish Upon returning to the offi ce never meant for her. housing needs register back in 1999, “The processing would have in late October, mayor Randall “Offi cials told me that the house her application failed in January her name and identity document this was the installation of prepaid meters as well as the Williams said the metro was that was meant for me was already 2020. searched on other databases (which facing fi nancial troubles after handed over to another benefi ciary “A deed search on the system is a standard procedure) to verify implementation of strict credit control measures to stabilise incurring a defi cit of R4-billion in Mamelodi East extension 5,” picked up that the fi rst six digits of whether she does qualify for a during the administrators’ her identity document number are government-subsidised low-cost revenue collection. claimed Tiny Mahlangu (62). tenure last year. Mahlangu said she applied for an similar to two other benefi ciaries house. More than 160 000 RDP house back in 1999 because “If she indeed qualifi es and her she and her three children were subsidy gets approved, she will then living in overcrowded conditions at be allocated a house as soon as we her parents’ house along with her have housing units available, which siblings. currently we do not have.” Mahlangu, who is from section 12 Mahlangu told Record she was in Mamelodi East, said applying for “I waited 20 years only to “disappointed at how things turned the house was supposed to be a “big out”. break” for both her and her children. be told I have a house in “The government processed the “Finally, I would have some Witbank – a place I have RDP houses and handed the houses shelter for my children.” never been to.” to their favourites or people who However, according to Tshwane have money,” she claimed. metro spokesperson Lindela Tiny Mahlangu (62) She said last year she went to Mashigo, the belief Mahlangu had check how far they were with her that the house in Mamelodi East who have benefi ted from the RDP house since people were ext. 4 was allocated to her was government’s subsidised housing already starting to get their own “unfortunately not true”. programme. RDP houses. “A person is awarded a subsidy,” “One benefi ciary is in Instead, Tshwane human said Mashigo. Mpumalanga at Hlalanikahle settlements offi cials told her that “Upon availability of housing township and the other is in Pretoria her application had failed because units, he or she will be allocated any at Mabopane extension U,” he said. she already had an RDP house in units available on the day that he or “As soon as the City’s human Witbank. settlements department was notifi ed “I waited 20 years only to be told I she visits our offi ces or the site to be Tshwane mayor Randall Williams during a media briefi ng at the of the complainant’s predicament, have a house in Witbank – a place I handed the house keys,” Mashigo Tshwane council house. Photo: Sinesipho Schrieber said. eff orts were made to alert the have never been to,” she said.. 2 | RECORD MAMELODI | NEWS JULY 30, 2021 Beneficiaries demand electricity Stephen Selaluke Family fl at units’ benefi ciaries with challenges of installing electricity meter boxes to their fl ats were advised to contact the community liaison offi cer (CLO) or visit the metering and vending section at the Waltloo electricity depot. This came after a total of 37 family fl at unit benefi ciaries in Mamelodi East, ext. 5 next to Matimba Sinqobile Integrated centre complained that they are still waiting for electricity meter boxes to be installed in their fl ats for almost four Ffezile Sipho Phiri. months. The benefi ciaries of the fl at’s demanded equal treatment when it comes to install Family pleads for help to find The project started in missing man October 2020. The network Stephen Selaluke installation was completed and Mamelodi East extension 5 family fl at units are still without electricity. A Mamelodi family has asked the public for infrastructure commissioning “The project started in October 2020. the infrastructure which will then be their help in fi nding their brother who has took place in April 2021. The network installation was completed followed by the electrifi cation and been missing since last week Monday. and infrastructure commissioning took connection of the new area. Ffezile Sipho Phiri (30) of Mamelodi East Lindela Mashigo place in April 2021,” said Mashigo. While the infrastructure installation ext 12, who is also a small business taxi The benefi ciaries claimed electricians process is in progress, the department driver, went missing on July 19. contracted by the Tshwane metro to install works with CLOs to identify qualifying Police spokesperson Constable electricity meter boxes to their fl ats. electricity meter boxes didn’t install the customers, using the housing benefi ciary Lethabo Mashiloane confi rmed they were Ali Chauke, a resident, claimed that the meters at the fl ats. list from the human settlement department, investigating a missing person’s case opened electricians installing meter boxes were The aggrieved residents complain to complete “prepaid meter application by Madisha’s older sister Nqobile. installing electricity randomly at the that their fl ats are freezing cold without forms”. His sister reported him missing the fl ats. electricity. He added that the only customers who following day after she last saw her brother “We have followed all the right Bonnie Makunyane (45) claimed that are on the benefi ciary list are allowed in the evening on his way to collect staff procedures to get electricity installed to the electricians told them they would to complete the forms which are then members knocking off at 18:00. our fl ats, signed a lot of forms but no not install meters at their fl ats because, processed and a meter is allocated to a However, he never returned home. electricity.” according to the electricians, the residents’ customer. Ffezile was last seen wearing a navy-blue Tshwane metro spokesperson, Lindela names didn’t appear on the metro’s “Once the meter is allocated and ready tracksuit with white and red stripes, a green Mashigo said qualifying benefi ciaries/ housing settlement database. Mashigo for installation, an electrician/contractor body warmer and brown Timberlands.

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