The Executive Mayor of Mogale City, Cllr Koketso Seerane today tabled a R2.5 billion budget for the 2015/2016 financial year. The municipality will spend R6 million on relocation of Tudor Shaft informal settlement and a further R27 million in the outer years. This project will ensure permanent settlement or security of tenure for the residents who have waited patiently to be removed from a hazardous radioactive environment.

An estimated R52 million will be spent to improve infrastructure in the rural areas of the city including introduction of Enviro-Loos which will see to gradual phasing out of chemical toilets.  In terms of a Memorandum of Understanding entered into between the municipality and the Department of Energy, Mogale City has received a R10 million donation from the European Union paid via the South African National Energy Development Institute (SANEDI). The funding will be utilized in the Munsieville Electricity Smart Grid Project.

The mayor announced a solar energy project to which the city committed R10 million to assist residents who are not on-the-grid. The municipality will together with the CSIR embark on a R20 million pilot project relating to Waste-to-Energy at the Percy Stewart Water Treatment Plant. This is over and above the R3, 5 billion Waste-to-Energy initiative at Luipaardsvlei Landfill as well as the Solar Energy Plant in Fariaville.

The city will spend R33, 5 million on enterprise development projects in order to boost job creation within the city. A total of R150 million will be spent over the next three years on improvements to the roads and stormwater network. These projects will include the widening of Robert Broom Drive.

The city has set aside R63 million for parks management over the next three years which include upgrade of the Kagiso Cemetery and various regional parks that are being constructed around the city.  The operating expenditure budget of the city is R2 593 074 with a capital budget of R293 360 million. The increase in tariffs adopted for property rates, refuse collection, hall hire and other user charges is 6% whilst water is 15, 5%; electricity is 14.2% and sanitation will be 12%.