The South African Municipal Workers’ Union (SAMWU) in KwaZulu-Natal has expresses deep concern over the Auditor General’s (AG) report on the state of municipalities in the province for the 2023/24 financial year.
Presenting her findings to the provincial legislature, Tsakani Maluleke, the Auditor General of South Africa (AGSA), said that many municipalities in KZN received either unqualified or unqualified with findings audit opinions, a precarious step away from a qualified audit opinion.
Among those cited are the eThekwini Municipality, the Msunduzi Local Municipality, the Ugu District Municipality, KwaDukuza, Ray Nkonyeni, and Greater Kokstad.
Nokubonga Dinga, SAMWU KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Secretary, said on Tuesday that the AG’s report exposed severe financial mismanagement, governance failures, and a concerning lack of accountability across most provincial municipalities.
“The report reveals alarming irregular expenditure of R1.6 billion in eThekwini alone, alongside R6.7 million in fruitless and wasteful spending. These figures not only betray public trust but also endanger service delivery and community well-being,” said Dinga.
Dinga further highlighted the AG’s disclosure of 60 cases of material irregularities totaling R1.15 billion in losses, which were only rectified after AG intervention.
“This points to a pervasive culture of impunity and inadequate consequence management,” said Dinga.
Specific municipalities such as Amajuba and Harry Gwala overspent without achieving significant results, while Msunduzi recorded R900 million in irregular, wasteful, and fruitless expenditure, marking a troubling trend.
In Msunduzi, Dinga pointed out ongoing challenges, noting the municipality’s third consecutive year of receiving a qualified audit opinion.
The AG flagged R900 million in irregular, wasteful, and fruitless expenditures, including significant losses related to projects like the Woodlands Housing Project and revenue management failures.
“The AG’s report also highlights poor meter reading practices, slow responses to action plans, and a lack of consequence management. These failures are not just administrative, they have real consequences for workers and residents,” said Dinga.
“The continued mismanagement in Msunduzi is a slap in the face to the hardworking municipal employees who strive to deliver services under increasingly difficult conditions.”
Dinga said SAMWU is deeply concerned about the AG’s warning that the non-achievement of service delivery targets poses significant risks to communities, including insufficient access to water, sanitation, and electricity.
“While we acknowledge the seven municipalities that achieved clean audits, the overall picture is one of regression and failure,” said Dinga.
“The AG’s recommendations, including the strengthening of Municipal Public Accounts Committees (MPACs) and disciplinary boards, must be implemented without delay. SAMWU calls on COGTA and provincial leadership to take urgent action to address these issues and ensure that those responsible for mismanagement are held accountable.”
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