Have your say on City’s R70 billion draft budget

The City of Cape Town’s draft Budget for the 2023/24 financial year has been tabled in Council for public participation and residents are encouraged to submit their comments until 5 May 2023.

The City will be hosting more than 50 in-person community meetings to give residents the opportunity to engage on the proposed budget.

The City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Finance, Councillor Siseko Mbandezi says it’s crucial that residents scrutinise and comment on the draft budget.

The proposals in the draft budget aim to build on our existing service offering, support our most vulnerable citizens, and significantly expand our capital spend. We would like residents to have their say on our efforts to keep improving the City’s services across the metro, and to join us in ‘Building Hope’.

He says the budget was prepared with the intention of keeping rates and service charges as low as possible to assist struggling residents, communities and businesses, while also planning to continue meeting the needs of the growing city.

Once the public participation process has been completed and the public’s input has been considered, the Budget will be taken to Council for debate and adoption.

What’s in the draft budget:

The City’s total social support package is up more than half a billion rand in 2023/24, from R3,75bn to R4,3bn, including R1,96bn in rates rebates and R2,37bn for free basic services.
The budget proposes a 50% rates relief increase for all residential properties of R5 million and under, with the first R450 000 of property value now rates-free.
More pensioners and social grant recipients will also benefit from rates rebates, by raising the upper qualifying limit from R17 500 to R22 000 total monthly household income.
Over 192 000 properties valued at R450 000 or below, or with household income below R7 500, will receive monthly benefits, including 100% rebate for property rates and refuse removal, 15kl free water and 10,5kl free sanitation, and up to 60 free units of electricity.
The City has been able to reduce Eskom’s 18,49% increase to 17,6%, and offer significantly more protection for lower income customers on the subsidised Lifeline tariff, while still funding plans to end sole reliance on expensive Eskom power as soon as possible.
The City’s record R10,9bn infrastructure budget is 40% bigger than this year, with spending set to increase to a record smashing R18bn in the third year of the Medium Term Revenue Expenditure Framework (MTREF).
Major sanitation network investments include a 100% increase in sewer pipe replacement budgets, 330% increase in sewer pump station upgrades over the next three years, and a R8,6 billion for wastewater treatment works upgrades.
The City is further investing R2,2bn in its New Water Plan for more water security in Cape Town, with major groundwater projects underway to tap into aquifers.
The Building Hope Budget 2023/24 makes major investments across the board to do the basics better on service delivery, including R3,2bn in informal settlement upgrades and basic services.

50% Rates Relief Increase!🤲

We’re protecting Capetonians from the cost of living pressures, by increasing the rates-free portion of properties under R5 million by 50%, from R300 000 to R450 000.

This is massive rates relief for Capetonians. pic.twitter.com/yklbKMTsyC

— Geordin Hill-Lewis (@geordinhl) March 30, 2023

How to view the draft budget:

Online: Click HERE
Visit your nearest sub-council office or library for a copy of the budget.
Community-based organisation (CBO) representatives may contact their subcouncil managers for further details on their respective area-based community meetings.
Written comments via email: Budget.Comments@capetown.gov.za OR through your Ward Councillor/Subcouncil offices
Verbal inputs: 0800 212 176
Visit www.capetown.gov.za/HaveYourSay for more information on the draft budget