The executive mayor of Thabo Mofutsanyana District Municipality, Dr Balekile Mzangwa, has tabled a R110-million budget for the 2013/2014 financial year, with R29.5-million allocated for infrastructure development and the rest going to general service delivery expenditure.

Thabo Mofutsanyana municipality is made up of six local municipalities, namely Maluti-a-Phofung, Dihlabeng, Phumelela, Nketoane, Setsoto and Mantsopa.

Mzangwa said, guided by National Development Plan (NDP), the Thabo Mofutsanyana district was in the right direction of bringing improved and quality services to its residents.

“The fact that our district municipality has been receiving unqualified audit reports for three consecutive years is heralded as a great achievement and motivation to look forward to doing better.”

He said the district is planning to; amongst others; roll out a domestic solar energy system in the farming and rural areas.

Mzangwa allocated an amount of R75 000 to SMMEs, focusing on the formation and development of cooperatives, which are crucial in stimulating job creation.  A million rand has been allocated to the expanded public works programme and R2.5-million has been earmarked for disaster management equipment to cope with frequent disasters such as veld fires, road accidents and tornadoes.

The budget was approved by all councillors except the DA’s councillors who claimed not to have had enough time to study budget as it was submitted to them late.

The leader of the Dikwankwetla Party of South Africa (DPSA), Moeketsi Lebesa, threw his weight behind the budget.

Lebesa quoted the erstwhile chief minister of QwaQwa and DPSA founder when he addressed IMF representatives who were on a visit to South Africa in 1986.

“We all want to be free, free from poverty, free from hardship, free from bounds, free from the necessity of looking to others for favours and contributions.”

He applauded Mzangwa’s leadership style, which he described as ‘hands-on and proactive’.

He went further to praise the municipality for receiving an unqualified audit opinion from the Auditor-General for two consecutive years.