7.1 Introduction
A public launch of the budget process for 2001/ 2002 and the City Development Plan was hosted on 17 March 2001. A follow-up consultation process in respect of the City Development Plan and Budget was undertaken in two parallel thrusts namely, consultative sessions for representatives from organised institutions and consultative sessions at a ward level.

Metro-wide sectoral consultation sessions were held from 26 to 29 March 2001 and councillor-driven ward consultation sessions took place from 26 March 2001 to 6 April 2001. Issues discussed included: metro-wide priorities, budget allocations per function, and the process.

All ward councillors were briefed, supplied with speaker notes (eg metro and functional priorities, process issues), posters and pamphlets.

7.2 Summary of key issues identified by metro stakeholders

• Need for an ongoing, consultative and transparent city planning/budgeting process
• General support for the six priorities, but it need to be unpacked
• Debt-to-equity ratios should ne contained in the budget planning process for the purpose of external borrowing
• Tax implications of utilities need to be spelled out
• Black economic empowerment (BEE) should be addressed in the City Development Plan
• Illegal land uses/illegal use of vacant buildings should be addressed
• Tender processes should be more accessible to SMMEs
• Consultative process in relation to planning/budgeting process should be pro-active rather than re-active
• Capital budget for the Johannesburg Roads Agency should be increased due to backlogs and to alleviate congestion
• Environment, good governance and youth development should be added to the list of priorities
• A formal community forum needs to be set up to discuss council issues on an ongoing basis
• Infrastructure upgrading, development of social facilities and crime prevention in township areas should be prioritised
• Communities need to comment on tariff policy and structure before they are being finalised
• Need for education campaign in respect of by-laws and council policies
• Interest on arrears needs to be addressed as it discourages people who want to pay
• Need strong focus on TB
• Request for a cultural desk to be established in the Office of the Executive Mayor
• Accessibility issues in respect of the disabled, need to be addressed
• Council should investigate the possibility of assisting NGOs financially
• Effective collection
• Need for a pro-active strategy to deal with street kids

7.3 Feedback from ward/local sessions

Questions to participants

• What do you think of the six priorities as identified by the Mayoral Committee?
• Are there any key issues that should have been prioritiesd or choices that should be deprioritied?
• What are your views on the tariff increases? (Council principle is that it must be linked to the prevailing inflation level)
• Are there any issues, from the perspective of your ward that you want to bring to our attention?

Feedback summary

The six priorities
Communities generally endorsed the six key strategic priorities. However, some communities felt that the city also needs to prioritise housing, development of youth, women, the aged and disabled. It was also expressed that the priorities be developed in detail and implemented with due speed, accompanied by viable and comprehensive strategies. In addition, it was felt that the priorities need to be quantified in monetary terms.

Re-prioritisation
Job creation, housing and crime ranked as the highest, followed by crime prevention, welfare, education, and HIV/Aids. One community felt that HIV/Aids needs to be de-prioritised seeing that it was not local government competency.

Tariff structure
There was general acceptance of the principle that the tariff structure be linked to the level of inflation. However, it was requested that the city note the following:

• Indigent individuals who may not be in the position to pay for services
• Communities need to be informed timeously of intended tariff increases so that they can adjust their consumption patterns accordingly
• Billing systems need to be fair and just as there seem to be inconsistencies and inaccuracies
• People in disadvantaged areas are in chronic arrears for services and need to be informed whether relief in the form of their dept being frozen can be considered.

General remarks
Besides the six priorities, communities also felt that the city needs to pay attention to the following needs:

• Housing - certaintly on the status of hostels, their proper administration and improvement in the quality of life inside the hostels
• Infrastructure and service development - electricity, waste management, road construction and maintenance, stormwater systems, traffic lights and signs, speed humps, public toilets
• Community development - building of community centres, skills development, establishment of recreation facilities and shopping malls
• Law enforcement - regulation of informal trading, dumping sites, control of prostitution, especially child prostitution in the Inner City, squatting, unroadworthy taxis, illegal taxi ranks
• Crime - the seemingly increasing proliferation of illegal guns was the major concern expressed by disadvantaged communities, including residents of the Inner City
• Sectoral development - various sectors in the community wished to see their interest catered for, namely women, youth, aged and disabled people
• Governance - government was implored to review its policies in the following areas:
  • To place emphasis on public/public partnerships as opposed to public/private sector partnership
  • To redesign regional and town-planning schemes with a view to preventing capital flight to the rapidly developing northern areas of Johannesburg
  • To be mindful of unfunded mandates
  • To develop monitoring mechanisms in the budget in order to regulate spending patterns of various departments so as to prevent under-spending in critical areas
• Service provision - there were concerns over seemingly unjust service cuts, particularly electricity black-outs, primary health-care clinics, street lights to prevent crime
• Externalities - development of new areas need to take into account the social and economic impact on neighbouring communities
• HIV/Aids - catering for HIV/Aids orphans

7.4 Detailed feedback from the metro consultation process
As a result of the consultation process a range of comments were received from stakeholders in the City. These are summarised below by sector. It should be noted that the comments are simply listed - their merit or relevance is not debated.

i. Comments from labour

Remarks

• Need to provide income statements and balance sheets so as to improve financial transparency
• Supportive of focus on Inner City
• All Council-owned companies should determine debt-to-equity ratios for the purpose of external borrowing
• Ensure that UACs are located in the CBD
• Need to show the cost of services up front
• There is a need for a follow-up meeting with Labour

• How were the 6% tariff increases determined?
• What does steep increase from UACs mean?
• What is meant by decline in support functions?
• Will there be staff increases in line with inflation?
• How will life-line tariffs be accommodated?
• Is the stated net surplus for the Water Utility determined after payment to the management contractor?
• What is the Council's legal bill?
• What are the tax implications for the utilities?

ii. Comments from business

Remarks

• Supportive of focus on Inner City
• Need to unpack the focus on the Inner City to fully understand how this focus will be beneficial to the Inner City
• Need a commitment from council in respect of black economic empowerment
• The City Deep area is one of the identified Integrated Development Zones (IDZ), however, the proposed accessibility improvements alone will not achieve the required outcome as planned. Neglect and degradation of the area in general also need to be addressed urgently
• Illegal land uses need to be addressed urgently - no action is currently being taken
• Council needs to reassess the tender procedures with specific reference to requirements for emerging contractors
• Consultative process is re-active to internal budget and strategy process
• Leadership of hawkers is not fragmented any longer and would want to work with Council to address their issues
• Need for partnerships and/or other relationships with SMMEs

Clarity Questions:

• Where is revenue coming from?
• Are the RSC levies included?
• What is the distinction between JDA and Planning?
• Why is there a discrepancy between the Capital Expenditure figures on p2 and p3 (R815m vs R915m)?
• Does service delivery include upgrading?
• Will the illegal use of buildings be acted upon? Speaker highlighted the illegal use of buildings in the Kya Sand area.
• What is the HIV/Aids vision?
• When can the public expect a new procurement policy?
• What are the criteria to be used to monitor service delivery excellence?
• How will valuations increase?
• Will rates apply to re-evaluated properties?
• What is the source of capital funding?
• If there is a 6% decline in the contribution towards support services, will they still be in a position to deliver on the six priorities?
• Can a forum be set up where affected parties can comment and give input in respect of the envisaged procurement policy?
• Will Johannesburg be clean at the date of the Earth Summit in 2002?

iii. Comments from residents, ratepayers, and civic organisations

Remarks

• Job creation should not be a local government priority, because R1 billion is available for this purpose at national level
• Presentation not sufficient to assess how individual allocations will be utilised
• Capital budget for the Johannesburg Roads Agency should be higher
• Budget process/consultation is not the start of the City Development Plan process - A document should be compiled to explain the process up to now
• A budget process cannot be assessed in isolation from the envisaged performance targets
• Support the developmental approach of Council, but need to know what is contained within this approach (priorities, strategies, targets)
• Documentation should be supplied to participants prior to consultative meetings to enable them to consult their constituencies prior to meetings
• Environment and general degradation should also be part of the council's top priorities
• The increase in the health allocation by 25% seems high if the causes of health-related problems can be addressed through environmental related issues
• Metropolitan Police Department should not only focus on business needs and priorities, but also on those of communities, especially to ensure safety after dark. MPD service should also be extended to township areas
• Deterioration of Pieter Roos Park should be addressed urgently
• Landlords cannot be held accountable for outstanding bills of tenants - services should be stopped to those who are in default
• A forum should be set up to discuss community issues on a monthly basis
• A monorail system should be investigated to address future transportation/movement requirements - take more vehicles off the road and invest less in Metrobus
• Sections of streetlights in Rivonia are not working
• New property rates increases should be avoided in the Sandton area - 300% increase since a few years ago
• To ensure the success of the City's plan, everybody must contribute and support the plan
• Crime prevention in townships should be a priority
• Roads in townships should be tarred and stormwater drainage should be provided
• Streetlights in townships will contribute to a decrease in crime
• Under-supply of visible/developed parks in township areas - should be upgraded to contribute to the increasing tourism market
• Job creation initiatives by council in township areas should be intensified
• Traffic congestion between township areas and key nodes should be addressed urgently
• New low-cost housing opportunities should be identified in close proximity to places of employment to reduce transport costs
• Communities need to be involved when council identifies beneficiaries in terms of the indigency policy. Indigency policy also did not yet deliver any tangible results
• Tariffs in townships should not be increased - rather focus on effective collection through stop orders
• Cemeteries need to be cleaned up urgently, community based employment initiatives can be used to do this
• Lack of parking in the Inner City - need park-and-ride facilities
• Communities need to be educated on council by-laws and policies
• Squatter issues, shebeens, lack of safety, maintenance of parks and lack of parks in Elandspark area need to be addressed urgently
• Wider environmental problems i.e. smog, wastewater flowing into river systems, etc also need to be addressed
• Provincial road construction programme should be jointly determined by the Transportation section and the council
• Interest on arrears should be put on hold to encourage communities to pay for their services
• Good governance should be the number one priority
• Council should budget for provision of access to information and to strengthen civil society participation
• Earth Summit: urge council to make progress in respect of environmental issues which are critical for sustainable development
• The health allocation in respect of HIV/Aids should focus on Aids education rather than on the provision of medication - education initiatives should also be offered at libraries in this regard
• Need more community halls in township areas
• Affluent areas tend to marginalise poor traders (Rosebank) - also need to accommodate the poor traders
• Need for an informal trade forum

Clarity Questions:

• Will ratepayers be held responsible to indirectly fund the start-up costs of utilities?
• Why is the increase in the roads allocation only R10 million per annum, when maintenance has been neglected, congestion is on the increase and new road construction is very expensive? Current indicative allocation also seems to be too low.
• Who will pay the salaries of utility staff?
• How will envisaged capital programmes of utilities/agencies be funded and where will the money come from?
• How are the organisations and institutions of the utilities and agencies set up?
• What is the tax status of the utilities and agencies?
• What is the relationship between the City Development Plan and the Local Integrated Development Plans?
• Will property values also increase in line with inflation?
• When will the tariff policy and structure be finalised and will communities be afforded the opportunity to comment prior to finalisation?
• Will there be consultation on the relevant by-laws prior to the tariff increases?
• Why do we not see any press coverage of this process? Did you invite the press to also attend?
• When will littering/dumping by-laws be enforced?
• What projects are envisaged in terms of the capex budget of the JDA?
• How realistic are revenue estimates?
• What is the reason for the decrease in the housing allocation after three years?
• Will there be a free electricity allocation (similar to the 6kl of water) and if so, is there a policy in this regard?
• What capital spending will occur from provincial/national government level within the area of jurisdiction of the City of Johannesburg?
• What is the current collection rate?
• Who are the members from the Mayoral Committee responsible for billing issues and by-law enforcement?

iii. Comments from NGOs and academic institutions

Remarks

• TB should have a strong focus - equal to HIV/Aids
• Empty buildings in Inner City currently used by criminals - NGOs can make more optimal use of it, however, do not know where to go and who to approach
• Economic development is a very wide concept - need to flesh it out to make sense
• Street kids in Inner City are being 'used' in crime syndicates - can local government do something about it?
• Traditional healers need a centre to operate from
• A cultural affairs desk should be established in the Office of the Executive Mayor
• Communities should be educated on by-laws and policies of council
• Housing: lack of social infrastructure and facilities in new housing developments
• Accessibility issue of people with disabilities should be addressed
• Youth development is not mentioned in six priorities
• Capacity building of NGO sector should be considered
• Sports, arts and culture should also be addressed as priorities as it will decrease crime
• Housing should be designed to accommodate privacy (one-bedroom houses for families not sufficient)
• Green spaces should not be absorbed by development
• Low income housing (provision and requirements) for people with disabilities should also be addressed
• There should not be tariff increases for the poor, but rather a more effective collection campaign to collect what is owed by those who can afford to pay
• Council need to build stalls for hawkers to operate from (limit street vending)
• Need to actively promote local/foreign investment in the city
• Need for a permanent forum to be established to discuss issues on an ongoing basis
• Need a market for goods produced by aged, people with HIV, etc to sell products and to generate money

Clarity Questions:

• What is meant by "a focus on the Inner City" - does it include street children, the homeless, etc.?
• Does economic growth and job creation include the issue of poverty?
• Where and how will housing be addressed?
• Community centres are key to township life - will this need be addressed (need for more halls, etc)?
• Have you allowed for financial assistance/subsidise for NGOs?
• What will be done for the homeless people in the Inner City?
• To what extent will the private sector be involved in formal/informal job creation?
• Nothing mentioned about orphans and aged - who will take care of them?
• How can 'good governance' be mentioned as a budgetary item?
• Who is the Mayoral Committee, what are their areas of expertise and what is the possibility of involving expert NGOs in decision-making processes?
• Is there a HIV/Aids Plan and how can NGOs get involved?
• Grants-in-aid: when will proposals be considered?
• How can issues of violence, gender, training and sexual relationships in respect of women be addressed, as well as people living with Aids?
• Who is driving the rejuvenation of Alexandra project? Did they consult communities?
• Can the council get involved in the rehabilitation of youth juveniles?
• Is the council doing anything about xenophobia?
• Will service delivery also apply to immigrants?
• Are services being delivered to displaced people?
• Will limited transport services for people with disabilities also be extended to marginalised areas?
• Will the deaf/blind be accommodated in future meetings? (translators)
• When will the next meeting of this kind be held?