COGTA to probe municipal disarray

Co-operative governance and traditional affairs (COGTA) chairperson, China Dodovu, and COGTA MEC Mandla Msibi, are probing the financial status of local municipalities, governance, audit outcomes and service delivery matters were among the key issues that the committee focused on during a visit to three embattled municipalities. More municipalities are under scrutiny, and will be announced in due course. Non-compliance to legislation, lack of consequence management and failure to adhere to payment plans are among the contributing factors that caused the troubled local municipalities, Govan Mbeki, Thaba Chweu and Dr JS Moroka to collapse, the oversight committee of the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) announced.

“We observed the tendency to ignore legislation in the municipality (Govan Mbeki). We also noted that it has failed to submit financial statements to the Auditor-General (AG). The Eskom debt escalated into millions of rands. This is a serious cause for concern. Where was the leadership when all of this occurred?” asked Dodovu during the sitting in Govan Mbeki Local Municipality. COGTA briefed the committee about the decision to invoke Section 106 of the Constitution as an intervention to deal with allegations of maladministration, and as a measure for clean governance in Govan Mbeki. Msibi told the committee about the steps being taken to address financial mismanagement in all municipalities.

“We have adopted a zero tolerance towards unauthorized, irregular, fruitless and wasteful expenditure. We have turned down for condonation of the expenditure. We are demanding accountability where wasteful expenditure has occurred.” Msibi said.