PREMIER MABUZA ’ S JUST A PAPER TIGER, SAYS DA
MPUMALANGA premier David Mabuza’s failure to deal with municipalities that struggle to get their finances in order has come back to haunt him.
For more than two years, Mabuza has failed to implement resolutions he took during cabinet meetings.
In February 2013, Mabuza threatened to fire mayors, municipal managers and chief financial officers (CFO) who would get disclaimer opinions.
Mabuza ’ s threats to fire municipal managers and CFOs remained just that. The state of finance in municipalities is still in disarray. Audit outcomes released this week show that only two of the 21 municipalities got clean bills.
This week, Auditor-General Thembekile Makwethu briefed Mabuza on audit outcomes of municipalities for the 2013/2014 financial year ending in June.
Only Steve Tshwete local municipality in Middelburg and Ehlanzeni district municipality received clean audits. These municipalities have kept a clean record for the past few years.
The usual culprits Mkhondo, Thaba Chweu, Msukaligwa and eMalahleni – got disclaimers. Emakhazeni has now also joined them.
At a briefing held in White River, Mabuza called on mayors to step down.
“Don ’ t be afraid to tell us that you cannot do this work. We can admit ourselves that it ’ s time to call it a day. You have travelled this distance and you have got nothing to lose.
“We have fought and we have tried to make peace, but the situation is still the same,” said Mabuza.
He said most municipalities lost focus because they concentrated on infighting. He lashed out at mayors and municipal managers. “Instead of going forward we are going backward, we have made no movement.
“As seasoned leaders, you are quite acquainted with these issues
– in your institutions and as mayors you are almost at the end of your term. These matters have been repeated many times by the Auditor-General, and yet we are making no progress,” he said.
Mabuza said some municipalities could not even meet the required deadline.
“It is not good for the office of the Auditor-General to come here and talk about the same issues, they are getting discouraged.”
But DA Mpumalanga spokesman for cooperative governance and traditional affairs, Bosman Grobler, said the situation would not change. “There is no political leadership in the ANC. The premier has only made threats.
“Because there are no consequences for poor performance, municipalities will not improve.
“He (Mabuza) is very careful not to rock the boat hard because the people in those positions are friends and allies,” said Grobler.