“We will always continue to prioritise the community's needs towards a better life for all the people within our jurisdiction,” said the mayor of Thulamela, Cllr Grace Mahosi, during the tabling of the R950 million budget for the next financial year.

The event took place at the Thohoyandou Town Hall a fortnight ago.

She mentioned that the service-delivery priorities of the municipality had been reviewed as part of the coming year’s planning and budget process. In terms of source revenue, municipal tariffs are estimated to generate R180 million in the 2015/16 financial year. 

”We hope that the allocation for this financial year will further reduce the backlog of housing. The municipality has pledged 35 houses from the 2011/2012 to 2014 /2015 financial year and 29 houses have been completed while one house is in the completion stage and five are still in the foundation stage,” she added.

In terms of the electrification, she indicated that the Thulamela Municipality managed to electrify all households expect the new extensions.” It is our goal to provide light for those in darkness, and an overall amount of R60 million has been allocated for electrification of 10 991 households in most of our communities for the 2015/16 financial year."

 Mahosi also mentioned the successes of the past years, including job creation through the EPWP programmes in waste management, the electrification of households in various areas as well as the upgrading of roads.

She also mentioned that the mayoral bursary fund was already playing an important part in providing opportunities for young citizens. “We are offering our bursaries to pupils who come from indigent families, and we therefore encourage our people who are indigents to register through their ward councillors,” she added.