Mayor's Speech
“I want to start by saying something simple: this budget is about people. It is about the family in Vredendal who needs clean water. It is about the farmer in Cederberg who depends on good roads. It is about the child in Saldanha who deserves to grow up in a safe and healthy community. Everything we do, every Rand we spend, must serve the people of the West Coast.
In the past year alone, our teams have fought wildfires in dangerous conditions, coordinated flood relief across the district, inspected hundreds of food outlets to keep communities safe, maintained roads under tight budgets, and kept water losses below 10%, something very few municipalities in South Africa can say.
I also want to speak plainly about our finances. This year’s budget is R650 million. That sounds like a lot, and it is. But we must be careful. We face real pressures: less money from national government, ageing infrastructure that needs fixing and growing communities that need more services. We have made hard choices. But every choice was made with one question in mind: what is best for the people of the West Coast?
I table this budget with confidence, not because everything is perfect, but because our team is strong, our values are clear and our commitment to this district is unshakeable.”
