Tshwane will not return any unspent funds to Treasury, vows newly-elected Modise
Eugene Modise, who is also the MMC for Finance, was elected unopposed as Tshwane's new deputy mayor during a special council meeting on Friday.
Tshwane ANC regional chairperson, Eugene Modise. Picture: Thabiso Goba/Eyewitness News
JOHANNESBURG - Newly elected Tshwane deputy mayor Eugene Modise has promised the municipality will not return any unspent funds to National Treasury during his tenure.
Modise, who is also the MMC for finance, was elected unopposed during a special council meeting on Friday.
According to the capital city’s latest unaudited financial statements, it failed to spend over R200 million of its conditional grants in the past financial year.
However, the city still achieved a 96% spending rate, which is higher than the acceptable threshold set by the Treasury.
In his maiden council speech as the new deputy mayor, Modise said he wants to increase the rate.
“There will never be a single cent returned. The capital project will be supported and monitored like a nuclear power plant. We are going to expedite the approval certificates of two state-of-the-art clinics built in 2016 - one in Soshanguve and one in Hammanskraal.
"The occupancy certificate will be done with hypersonic speed. We have done a disservice to the poor people of Hammanskraal and Soshanguve who are travelling long kilometres and even using double transport to access health services."