The North West Legislature’s Standing Committee on Public Accounts (SCOPA) has raised concerns over irregular expenditure in the province’s municipalities. This irregular expenditure amounts to R5.4 billion.
The Auditor General has recently released another damning report showing the desperate state of municipalities in the North West. Out of the 22 municipalities, only 17 were audited. Nine obtained disclaimers, while eight obtained qualified audit opinions.
Five municipalities had outcomes outstanding as they did not submit their books for auditing.
SCOPA Chairperson, Job Dliso, says the main concern is the irregular expenditure in municipalities.
“The reason for the municipalities not to deal with irregular expenditure it’s lack of consequence management. No action taken to the officials particularly on your supply chain management.No political will starting from the council, the mayor who suppose to play an oversight to the municipal manager. There is business as usual,” says Dliso.
Opposition parties in the legislature want accountability and for financial crimes to be prosecuted.
“Your MFMA tells you solutions that if you have irregular expenditure how you deal with it.Persons who are not been dealt with must go to jail and there are sanctions and offences in your MFMA. So if we start following the law as it is, because it’s already there. Then I think we can start seeing changes,” says DA Chief Whip, Freddy Sonakile.
“The SCM processes are flouted with impunity in all North West municipalities and really it can’t be business as usual. In all municipalities the AG’s recommendations are never implemented hence recurrence of transgression. Transgressors must be presented and punished. We can’t allow that to be business as usual under these circumstances,” says Betty Diale of the Economic Freedom Fighters.
The African National Congress (ANC) says it is sitting on Tuesday to discuss these issues.
“The interim provincial committee will tomorrow meet to inter-alia reflect on the state of governance. We will reflect on the outcomes of the AG with respect to north west municipalities. The dramatic increase in irregular expenditure, the dramatic increase in cases where there is no consequence management. Once we have met and deliberated on this issues,we will publicly express our views,” says Kenny Morolong, ANC Interim Provincial Committee.
A local government expert believes incompetent officials and lack of strong political leadership contribute to dysfunctional municipalities.
“It’s high time we should question the skills of these persons, the experience. The qualifications and above all whether there is strong leadership in these municipalities,” says Hanyane.
Hanyane also says it is important that communities hold those in power accountable.
In the video below, municipalities lose R32 billion to fraud and corruption in 2018/2019:
