BCM shelves discussions on audit reports

BUFFALO City Metro council has again shelved discussions around two reports compiled by its audit and municipal public accounts committees into the auditor-general’s report.

These reports were tabled to council for consideration and adopted on March 28, but council resolved to defer discussing them to a special council meeting yesterday.

Council speaker Alfred Mtsi said: “Having considered the reports, council adopted [them] but wanted to discuss [them] during the special meeting where there would also be an audit improvement plan.

“But this plan was only handed over during the council meeting and this did not give councillors enough time to go through it and be able to debate.”

He said there were a number of issues around the auditor-general’s report that could not be discussed in just one or two hours.

When the audit improvement plan was handed over, chief whip Mzwandile Vaaiboom said council needed more time to study the plan to be able to engage with its content, and suggested that the discussion over the reports and plan be deferred to a special council meeting next week.

EFF councillor Chumani Matiwane said it was a concern that reports kept being given to councillors during council meetings. He said it was wasteful expenditure of ratepayers’ money that council meetings are postponed due to late submission of reports.

“There might be claims that this is an attempt to sabotage reporting by officials. There must be consequences for this kind of behaviour,” Matiwane said.

Mtsi said the audit improvement plan would be tabled next week after councillors have had the opportunity to study it.

“It is a concern on the part of council that reports are not tabled on set time lines. The issue of consequences emerged as a concern, not to say there must be an investigation. This is a matter to be addressed by the city manager, Andile Sihlahla. But if it continues then action should be taken against the responsible officials,” Mtsi said. —