The Johannesburg Development Agency (JDA) has doubled its capital expenditure while receiving a clean financial bill of health from the Auditor-General in the latest financial year.

At the same time, the agency raised its black empowerment share of capital spending to 76% of its budget, and its SMME share of operating and capital expenditure to 29% of its budget.

These were among the highlights of the JDA’s 2014/15 annual report, which was released at the end of last month as part of the City of Joburg’s integrated annual report.

The JDA was one of six City agencies to receive a clean audit (unqualified, with no findings) from the Auditor-General, while the City overall received an unqualified audit (with some findings).

Speaking at the release of the integrated report, Finance MMC Geoffrey Makhubho said the City was proud of this achievement, and had already put measures in place to address the shortcomings in those departments and agencies identified by the Auditor-General.

“This is a remarkable year for local government,” the MMC said. “We can look back on this period with a considerable sense of achievement when we consider the strides we have made.

Ninety-eight capital projects to the value of R1.46bn

In 2014/15, the JDA implemented 98 capital projects to the value of R1.46-billion, amounting to 87 percent of the R1.68-billion budget for the current financial year.

This was more than double the value of projects implemented in 2013/14, and more than four times the value of projects implemented in 2012/13, and brought the agency’s capital expenditure over the last 13 years to R8.44-billion.

Major drivers of capital expenditure in 2014/15 were the large construction works being undertaken for the Phase 1C expansion of the Rea Vaya bus rapid transit (BRT) network from the CBD to Alexandra and Sandton, and the construction of pedestrian-cycling pathways along the City’s emerging Corridors of Freedom.

Most of the latter projects involved small construction companies, with the result that large-scale infrastructure spending also benefited local businesses and created local job opportunities.

The largest area development projects implemented in 2014/15

• Diepsloot development – R34.3-million
• Nancefield Station precinct – R60-million
• Bruma Lake rehabilitation – R51.5-million
• Park Station precinct – R83-million
• Jabulani node – R65.5-million
• Kazerne property development – R71.5-million
• Westbury development – R65.7-million