Fwd: Kouga Council Meeting: Budget

[Paul Hjul]

I have for the last 18 months attended as an observer almost every council meeting largely to be disappointed. Last 'week Thursday the ordinary council meeting where the budget (MTREF budget and IDP) and Annual Report (together with an Oversight Report) was to be discussed and adopted. By law the budget had to be presented by Friday (the last day of May) and an adoption was expected to be steamrolled. In light of the events it seems suitable to give an update:

Thursday mornings meeting started on a surprisingly positive note from the speaker who is bemoaning the lack of public participation in processes and the rise of protests (including some recent violent ones concerning housing). There was then the usual delays and ramblings on endless items and so forth.

The Annual Report and Oversight Report (from MPAC) have NOT been adopted and will be addressed at an urgent special meeting - which will also deal with the Gbodo report and the KPMG report and a few other cans that have been kicked. There is no statutory requirement that I am aware of for the Annual Report to be adopted at a particular time but there are some very important statutory provisions relating to the rights of the public in this respect.

The Budget and IDP was slotted at the end of the agenda and caused an ANC caucus to be called for with an adjournment of "no less than 15 minutes", 45 minutes later the ANC returned and Stuurman indicated that they were not ready to discuss the capital component of the budget and proposed adjourning the meeting until Monday 3rd June which was acknowledged as outside the timeframes which the "auditor general will give a big slap on the wrist about". In short despite tomorrow's deadline THE BUDGET HAS NOT BEEN PASSED. The ANC has divided itself on the budget and needs the weekend to get its house in order. The revised IDP is in the same boat. There are consequences under the MFMA which now arise - in particular the council has to meet every 7 days to adopt the budget until the end of the month after which the matter is escalated to the province.

At this juncture Mr Fadi has not signed - and appears to refuse to sign - the certificate in terms of s23 of the MFMA which is an absolute requirement for the budget to be adopted by the council. The CFO signed the document without being the Acting Municipal Manager on the 24th May. Further the resolution of which notice is applicable and meeting in that respect has not been held and is unlikely to be held before Monday. The final budget contains no reference to the public participation responses on the draft budget. It is my opinion that absent Mr Fadi's signature the budget has not been tabled in accordance with the MFMA, moreover the public meeting at Pellsrus was done in contravention of the municipal Standing Rules and Orders, 26 by virtue of which a councillor was required to chair the meeting in the absence of the Speaker or Mayor as a public meeting. 

Having more attendants at Monday mornings 11:00 slot may help to fuel some responsibility from the municipality. 

Paul

[Kurt Mariano]

Thanks  for your work Paul.

 Do bad we couldn't have an email reminder to all the Ratepayers for each meeting..

Thanks again

Kurt

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[garthford]

Hi Kurt

 

We meet on the last wednesday of every month - this month it is 26th June .

Why not become a Committee Member ? 

Please let me know if you are interested .

All of the best for now .

 

From 

 

Garth