Pretoria – The City of Tshwane will become the largest metropolitan municipality in the country after the 18 May local government elections when it incorporates the Metsweding District Municipality.
This was confirmed by the city’s Executive Mayor, Kgosientso Ramokgopa when presenting his first budget speech and the Medium-Term Revenue and Expenditure Framework (MTREF) for the 2011/12,2012/13 and 2013/14 financial years on Thursday.
“When Metsweding with its local municipalities, Nokeng tsa Taemane and Kungwini become part of the city, the new City of Tshwane will become the largest metropolitan municipality in South Africa, comprising of an area of 6 368km2 and a population of just over 2.5 million.”
He said this formed part of the proposed amendments of borders by the Gauteng Provincial Government, which will lead to the disestablishment of the Metsweding District Municipality.
This will also make the City of Tshwane the third largest city in the world in terms of land mass, after New York and Yokohama in Tokyo. The reconfigured Tshwane will also move from the current five regions and 76 wards to seven regions and 105 wards.
The mayor said the incorporation would also provide the city with new opportunities to diversify its revenue base. “The new areas will bring in valuable resources such as vast tracts of vacant, undeveloped, agricultural or farming communities, mining enterprises, eco-tourism, forestry and fishing.”
The city will become the successor-in-law of all the Metsweding resources, assets, liabilities, rights, obligations and titles and all the administrative and other records.
In terms of the border amendments, the 2010/11 budget of Metsweding municipality remains in force until 30 June this year.
“The budget that we are presenting today is for the entire area of the new City of Tshwane,” said the mayor. The total budget over the medium term is R66.3 billion, constituted by R19.06 billion for the 2011/12, R22.16 billion for the 2012/13 and R24.9 billion for 2013/14.
The total revenue increased by 16.3 percent against the 2010/11 adjustment budget and by 18.9 percent against the 2010/11 approved budget.
According to Ramokgopa the operating expenditure for the medium- term equates to R60.6 billion which will be a tool to consolidate service delivery and accelerate job creation. – Nthambeleni Gabara, BuaNews
