Oudtshoorn, 01 March 2023 – The Mid-Year (2nd) Annual Adjustment Budget of the Oudtshoorn Municipality for the financial year 2022/2023, was unanimously approved by the council during a Special Council meeting on 28 February 2023. During the presentation of the budget Executive Mayor of the Greater Oudtshoorn, Alderman Chris Macpherson, said that Municipalities across the country are faced with enormous financial challenges which are largely due to continuous load shedding.
In Oudtshoorn alone load shedding is responsible for a loss of budgeted income to the municipality of more than R23 million as consumers use less electricity.
A further loss of income of R12,2 million was brought about by the adjusted sanitation tariffs. Operational expenditure has increased by R26,3 million due to various factors, such as a drastic increase in indigent registration as well as debt that had to be written off seeing an increase of expenditure of more than R22 million.
Employee-related costs increased by R2 million due to statutory payment provisions that had to be made.
Mayor Macpherson added that the shocking reality of vandalism and theft which is rampant across the country has cost Oudtshoorn Municipality a further R4,1 million in repairs and replacement of infrastructure. Cables, meters as well as switches of streetlights are being stolen on a daily basis and need to be replaced.
He has appealed to the community to be vigilant and to report any cases of vandalism or suspicious activities immediately at the police station or by calling the Municipal Control Room at 044 203 7800/7801 or 063 651 4675/ 063 651 4676.