‘Act now on poor state of municipalities’
THE Cabinet has expressed concern about the poor state of municipalities saying urgent action was required to resolve the problems.
This followed the report of the auditor-general (AG) on the performance of municipalities in the last financial year that only 18 got clean audits.
Minister in the Presidency Jackson Mthembu told the media yesterday that Cabinet would meet to discuss the report and how to address the situation. The Cabinet was concerned about irregular expenditure of R25 billion, which remains a challenge for poor, struggling municipalities.
He said the Minister of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, would have to come in and intervene.
“As a member of Cabinet, I am concerned with what the auditor-general raised. Only 18 municipalities got clean audits, 63 municipalities have regressed and only 22 have improved their performance compared to the last audit” said Mthembu.
“What is also concerning is what the AG raised (about) the intimidation of teams from the office of the auditor-general who are sent to audit our municipalities,” said Mthembu.
He said the Cabinet would discuss the audit findings as soon as possible.
He added that the government would need to step up and intervene.
They wouldn’t allow the situation to continue and it had to stop.
He said Dlamini Zuma would also take them into confidence about what needed to be done.
This would be after Dlamini Zuma had gone through the report of the AG.
Part of the work she will do is to ensure there was action in dealing with this state of affairs.
Mthembu also told the media that the government has set up an inter-ministerial task team to prepare for the local government elections in 2021.
He said this team will be key in ensuring there were successful elections in the next two years.
Dlamini Zuma will chair the inter-ministerial task team and other members include Minister of Police Bheki Cele and Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi.
The task team will interact with the Independent Electoral Commission and the Municipal Demarcation Board.
Mthembu said the Cabinet did not discuss the issue of the request to probe the fitness of Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane to hold office.
The official opposition has asked Parliament to remove Mkhwebane.
But Speaker Thandi Modise referred the matter to the justice committee. Chairperson Bulelwa Magwanishe said recently they would look at it once the committee had been formally established.
Portfolio committees will be formally constituted next week.
Mthembu also confirmed that Cabinet did not discuss the issue of the investigation of President Cyril Ramaphosa by the public protector.