Cabinet wants suspensions in poor-performing municipalities
Minister in the Presidency, Jackson Mthembu says Cabinet wants heads to roll in municipalities that continue to spend public funds irregularly and wastefully.
It follows the recent audit report by the Auditor-General which revealed that only 18 municipalities out of 257 in the country received clean audits for the past financial year.
Speaking during a post-cabinet briefing in Pretoria - Mthembu said Cooperative Governance Minister - Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma will be bringing cabinet up to speed on action being taken against habitual offenders.
"When that level of government is unable to deliver as it should, people who suffer the most are the poorest of the poor. We can't continue condemning, we should have some action plans that point to a direction of those that are not acting in favour of our communities being attended to," Dlamini-Zuma said.
Meanwhile, the Standing Committee on Public Accounts says failing municipalities will be among the items at the top of its list - as the committee begins its work under new chairperson, Mkhuleko Hlengwa.
Hlengwa says all municipalities that received unqualified audits will have to appear before them to account.
"We will ensure that we put the bite back into the bark and ensure that we hold people accountable. We are adopting a no-nonsense approach and will make sure that everybody who must appear before us will appear before us and that consequence management becomes the norm," Hlengwa said.
