In her report on the state of municipal audits, the Auditor-General (AG), Ms Tsakani Maluleke, once again emphasised in Parliament today that a lack of skills, financial discipline, accountability and stable, ethical leadership are the main causes of municipal service delivery decline.
A lack of proper financial planning, poor corporative management and the imposition of unrealistic municipal tariff hikes inevitably lead to cash-flow problems and, consequently, the decay of infrastructure.
The AG even withheld an audit opinion on 27 municipalities due to the serious extent of irregularities and law violations.
These shortcomings characterise all ANC-controlled municipalities countrywide.
The fact that the AG reaches the same conclusions and makes the same recommendations year after year without municipalities taking any remedial steps proves that the ANC government does not possess the political will to call its cadres on municipal level to order.
The ills of corruption and competition between ANC factions to gain access to municipal tax money seem to be too strongly rooted in the ANC’s DNA to be eradicated.
While the AG is presenting her parliamentary report and making recommendations, ANC-controlled municipal councils are convening meetings to adopt unfunded budgets, like the Matlosana Municipality did in the North West on 31 May 2023.
All while it is highly irregular and violates the provisions of municipal legislation.
Such blatant arrogance and unlawful conduct seem to be the rule rather than the exception at ANC-controlled municipalities.
South Africa deserves better than the ANC.
Read the original article in Afrikaans by on FF PLus
