Minister Bredell says municipalities have a critical role to play in water and electricity security during the department’s budget address.
Anton Bredell, Western Cape Minister for Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning yesterday presented the Department of Local Government’s budget of R369.9 million for 2023/24. Bredell said although the Department of Local Government is one of the smallest departments in the Western Cape Government, it is making a huge impact in how residents of the province experience government service delivery. “Our role as the department is to ensure that municipalities govern well, which in turn means that residents receive the best possible municipal services.”
Bredell said constant electricity blackouts are creating havoc for municipalities attempting to provide basic services to its residents. “South Africa is faced with an electricity crisis, which impacts directly on the ability of municipalities to provide services. Reliable electricity supply is essential for water supply. This includes safe drinking water, wastewater, and sewage systems.”
Bredell said R89 million that was allocated earlier this year as an emergency measure to municipalities to procure backup generators for water systems, had already transferred to municipalities in the Western Cape.
Due to the risks caused by the electricity disaster, the Department’s budget has a significant allocation of R57.6 million over the MTEF towards the Western Cape Energy Response strategy. This includes:
- R30 million to pilot renewable energy solutions in municipalities.
- R5 million (R2 million in 2023/24 and R3 million 2024/25) for the provision of specialist service providers to conduct investigations and assess the feasibility of potential renewable energy options.
- R5.3 million (R1.7 million in 2023/24, R1.8 million and R1.8 million in 2025/26) towards the Municipal Electricity Master Planning Programme.
- R17.3 million (R5.8 million for 2023/24, R5.8 million for 2024/25 and R5.8 million for 2025/26) for additional critical skills and capacity to support the Energy Programme in the Department.
Bredell said other focus areas for the department includes the continued support of the Sustainable Infrastructure Development and Finance Facility (SIDAFF) Programme, which helps local governments to package large infrastructure projects for potential private sector co-funding. The Programme receives R6 million in the 2023/24 budget to strengthen its project management capacity.
There is also an amount of R10.3 million allocated in the 2023/24 budget towards the mitigation of disaster risks. This includes the use of artificial intelligence and systems and technology required for anticipating disasters. As part of the provincial focus on climate change, R25 million is allocated in this financial year to strengthen existing work and explore innovative responses for water resilience interventions.
Enquiries:
Wouter Kriel
Cell: 079 694 3085
E-mail: Wouter.kriel@westerncape.gov.za
