UMhlathuze second highest spender of Covid-19 funds

WITH R749.5- million spent by KwaZulu- Natal municipalities in response to the Covid- 19 pandemic, uMhlathuze Municipality recorded the second highest expenditure with more than R89- million.

The city’s Covid- 19 spend was disclosed by KZN MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs ( Cogta), Sipho Hlomuka, during a briefing at the KZN Legislature’s Cogta Portfolio Committee on Tuesday.

Uphongolo, Jozini and Mthonjaneni were also listed among the top 11 municipalities with the highest Covid- 19 expenditure.

This latest report covered the period between 15 March and 11 September.

‘ While we appreciate that municipalities are an independent sphere of government, we have a responsibility to ensure that we thoroughly assess any expenditure to ascertain whether all relevant policies were followed during procurement,’ Hlomuka told the committee.

The department has requested municipalities to provide a list of the service providers who were contracted.

Municipalities will also have to ensure that mayors table detailed reports on Covid- 19 expenditure to councils for adoption.

‘ The department has also urged councils to assess expenditure on extraordinary measures introduced as a result of Covid- 19 lockdown and to look into financial and non- financial reports to prevent unauthorised, irregular, fruitless and wasteful expenditure,’ said Hlomuka.