Better roads, filling potholes gets large chunk of budget

Thursday, April 28, 2011

Pretoria - The City of Tshwane has allocated R791 million or 24.85 percent of its capital budget to repairing potholes and upgrading and rehabilitating the city's storm water drainage system, especially in townships.

The city's roads were badly affected by the prolonged heavy rains earlier this year.

"We should also be able to cope with the continuing problems caused by heavy rains; by repairing all the potholes in the city. Many will agree that great strides have been made to repair potholes in most of the roads," said Executive Mayor Kgosientso Ramokgopa.

He presented his R66.3 billion budget and the Medium-Term Revenue and Expenditure Framework (MTREF) for the 2011/12, 2012/13 and 2013/14 financial years on Thursday.

The city's Human Settlement and Housing will be allocated R576 million of which R55 million will be used to start the overdue upgrading of the Schubart Park and Kruger Park blocks of flats. 

"We are resolved to address the problems besetting these flats, so that our people can live in suitable conditions. Also critical will be the upgrading of hostels to make them suitable for human habitation and in some cases turn them into family units," he said. - BuaNews