City of Joburg has until Friday to pass its budget
The Gauteng provincial government has given the Johannesburg council until Friday to pass the city’s budget.
On Saturday, provincial cabinet discussed the city’s failure to adopt a budget in spite of the fact that the new financial year had already begun.
"Municipal council must convene urgently to approve its budget for the 2020/2021 municipal financial year, by no later than 10 July 2020," says spokesperson for the Gauteng Cooperative Governance Department Castro Ngobese.
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Ngobese warns: "If a municipality cannot or does not fulfil an obligation in terms of the Constitution or legislation to approve a budget or any revenue-raising measures necessary to give effect to the budget, the relevant provincial executive must intervene by taking any appropriate steps to ensure that the budget or those revenue-raising measures are approved.
Failure to approve the budget by Friday may result in council being dissolved while an administrator is appointed, similar to the situation in Tshwane.
"This will be in force until a new municipal council has been elected," adds Ngobese.