| Draft budget 2024-2025, R4,8bn social support for indigent and pensioners | Draft budget 2024-2025, R4,8bn social support for indigent and pensioners | | <img alt="" src="https://resource.capetown.gov.za/cityassets/PublishingImages/Creating%20a%20Safe%20home%20for%20a%20Senior%20Header.jpg" style="BORDER:0px solid;" /> | <p>The City reminds residents to comment on the City’s Building for Jobs Budget 2024/25 that was tabled at Council in March 2024. Residents are invited to submit their comments to the City until 30 April. <br></p> | <p>The City is proposing some R4,8bn in social support for the indigent and for pensioners who qualify for assistance. The City's available support for qualifying households has increased steadily by R1 bn since the 2022/23 financial year. </p><p>'We ask residents to make use of this opportunity and comment on our Building for Jobs Budget 2024/25. Residents may do so by submitting their comments to us via email, by telephone or via our dedicated web page on our website,' said the City's Mayoral Committee Member for Finance, Councillor Siseko Mbandezi.</p><p><strong>Social support on offer for qualifying households</strong></p><p>'Importantly, we are encouraging more residents to take up our offer of assistance and apply for the City's available social support, which includes rates and services relief. </p><p>'We are already assisting more than 210 000 residents with indigent and pensioner support, and we have the widest reach for free basic electricity and water of the country's metros, as confirmed again recently by StatsSA's Non-Financial Census of Municipalities. The City offers South Africa's highest allocation of free water at 15kl, the highest allocation of free sanitation at 10,5kl, up to 60 kWh free electricity units (FBE), and among the highest levels of support of all metros linking social relief to property value.</p><p>'We want to emphasise that our mammoth proposed R4,8bn social assistance package for 24/25 is an increase of R1bn since the 2022/23 financial year for indigent support and rates rebates.</p><p>'More pensioners and social grant recipients can also benefit from rates rebates, as the upper qualifying limit was raised from R17 500 to R22 000 total monthly household income since 2023/24.</p><p>'Residents are encouraged to apply for support and to reach out to us for more information on the available support on offer,' said Siseko Mbandezi. </p><p><strong>Other key </strong><strong>Building for Jobs Budget</strong><strong> expenditure areas include: </strong></p><p>· R480 m this year for four-stages of load-shedding protection plan by 2026/27</p><p>· R4 bn in electrical grid upgrades, R680m to make service delivery load-shedding proof over three years</p><p>· R5,3 bn Water and Sanitation infrastructure investment in 2024/25</p><p>· R5,5 bn overall Safety and Security investment, 1 000 metro police learnerships</p><p>· R610 m in technology to make Cape Town safer including CCTV, drones, dash and bodycams</p><p>· R6,3 bn for the major MyCiTi south-east expansion over three years </p><p>· R826 m in road and pothole repairs in 2024/25 </p><p>· R580 m for new refuse removal trucks and equipment</p><p>· R220 m for Safe Space shelters to help more homeless off the streets</p><p><strong>To view the tabled budget, please visit: </strong><a href="http://www.capetown.gov.za/budget" target="_blank"><strong>www.capetown.gov.za/budget</strong></a></p><p>View the subcouncil public meeting schedule (subject to updating where applicable) <a href="https://bit.ly/Budget2024_25Meetings" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/Budget2024_25Meetings</a></p><p><strong>Written comments</strong></p><p>By email: <a href="mailto:Budget.Comments@capetown.gov.za" target="_blank">Budget.Comments@capetown.gov.za</a></p><p>Through your Ward Councillor/Subcouncil offices:</p><p><strong>Verbal inputs</strong></p><p>Phone: 0800 212 176</p><p>For assistance to comment in English, Afrikaans or isiXhosa, please phone 0800 212 176</p><p>Visit <a href="http://www.capetown.gov.za/HaveYourSay" target="_blank">www.capetown.gov.za/HaveYourSay</a> for more information.</p><p><strong>For social support with rates and services relief, please visit: </strong><a href="http://www.capetown.gov.za/socialsupport" target="_blank"><strong>www.capetown.gov.za/socialsupport</strong></a></p><p><strong>End</strong></p><p><strong> </strong></p><p><br></p> | 2024-04-18T22:00:00Z | GP0|#1d539e44-7c8c-4646-887d-386dc1d95d70;L0|#01d539e44-7c8c-4646-887d-386dc1d95d70|City news;GTSet|#62efe227-07aa-45e7-944c-ceebacca891d | | | | | GP0|#fcf9defe-208b-492e-900e-2632635cd7b1;L0|#0fcf9defe-208b-492e-900e-2632635cd7b1|pensioners;GTSet|#2e3de6c1-9951-4747-8f53-470629a399bb;GP0|#04c28d72-157c-4d72-88f8-209d31a41300;L0|#004c28d72-157c-4d72-88f8-209d31a41300|rebates;GTSet|#2e3de6c1-9951-4747-8f53-470629a399bb | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
