M-PAC makes an impact
eThekwini was the first municipality in KZN to establish a Municipal Committee on Public Accounts to ensure ratepayers’ money is spent wisely. Themba Khumalo reports.
eThekwini’s Municipal Committee on Public Accounts (M-Pac) will act without fear or faour to ensure public money is spent correctly and that officials are held accountable, its chairman Sipho Kaunda has promised.
Chairs of similar watchdog committees at national and provincial parliament levels are traditionally opposition party members. But Kaunda is adamant that his being an ANC Councillor will not hinder his performance.
“My job is to ensure that all city officials are held to account for the way public money is spent. We are not here to deal with politics, but issues relating to ratepayers’ money,” he said. According to Kaunda, it took two and a half years to establish the Committee which comprises 11 councilors, six from the ANC, two from the DA, and one each from the IFP, MF and the NFP.
M-Pac is the local equivalent of the provincial and national Standing Committees on Public Accounts.
It is mandated to deal with financial and related management aspects of the Municipality, with the aim of enhancing oversight responsibilities. Its meetings are open to the public, but it can hold discussions behind closed doors if they are deemed sensitive.
“The primary aim of the Committee is to assist Council to hold the executive and the municipal administration to account and to ensure the effective and efficient use of municipal resources,” Kaunda said.
Kaunda is a former EXCO Chair of the old North Central Local Council and is currently a Finance Committee member of one of the biggest medical aid schemes in local government L.A. Health and KZN pension fund. “My experiences will also contribute in performing my duties as they relate to finance” he said.
Other members of the Committee
Nompumelelo Chamane (ANC) – Although Chamane, deputy charperson of M-Pac, is experienced in labour related issues, she refuses to call herself an expert. “In the Committee we work as a collective and therefore cannot claim to be an expert in a certain field.” Chamane, who will be serving her second term on the Committee, said, “We are still learning. In the last term we came across a number of controversial issues, where we found that the person concerned had either died, or left council which made our work difficult. “We have also taken corrective measures with regards to the supply chain process, because we were losing money through processes which were not done correctly. We have learned much in our first term and work very well together across the political divide.”
Pearl Luthuli (ANC) – Luthuli believes her degrees in cost and management accounting and municipal financial management from Wits University have equipped her well for her committee duties. “My qualifications touch on issues relating to municipal finance and I have a good understanding of that. “We are a new Committee and are being capacitated through workshops. This is a good Committee because it acts as a watchdog for rate payers. And as a Municipality which controls a budget of more than R26 billion, we need a structure which will hold people accountable on how they spend public funds. “We work very well with other political parties because we all understand our roles and responsibilities. We have the common goal of ensuring public funds are spent wisely.”
Bongumusa Dlamini (ANC) – After serving in various NGO’s and structures of the ANC, Dlamini is confident htat he has the necessary skills to help the Committee ensure that the Municipality continues to receive unqualified audits. “Skills I gained in organisations like the Centre for Community Labour Studies taught me a lot and will be applied when I am performing my duties for the Committee.” Dlamini is experiencedin conflict management and served in the security structures of the ANC. “We need people who are honest, people who are prepared to face challenges relating to governance of the city. At the end of the day, we have to ensure that procedures are followed. “That’s not to say we are here to look forerrors. Rather, we want to ensure that errors don’t happen by ensuring that people follow procedures and the law.”
Sibongile Nhlapo (ANC) – New member Nhlapho believes that her skills in research, communication and negotiations will come in handy. “I was also treasurer of the SA Democratic Teachers’ Union. My role in the Committee is to help maintain good governance and financial management and to help the Committee fulfill its mandate,” she said. Nhlapho said this could be achieved if policies, laws and regulations were followed. “we work as a collective. We may not be the police, however the evidence we collect forms the basis of decisions taken against concerned parties. We want to ensure efficient and effective service delivery and financial accountability. We want to ensure compliance with the MFMA and the Public Audit Act.” We want to ensure accountability from all levels of management within the Municipality when it comes to spending rate payers’ money,” she said.
Stanley Cele (ANC) – Cele said the Committee is long overdue. Our job is to make sure that every department in the municipality accounts for every cent that it uses. Whatever budget or monies allocated to various departments needs to be used wisely.” Cele said, “For example when it comes to infrastructure we have to make sure that when monies are allocated to a certain project that project is done properly and not find it was a phantom. He said the Mayor’s stance on corruption is welcome news. It shows support and will give strength to the Committee to do everything in its power to root out corruption.” he said. Cele said the Committee is new and it had a long way to go. “However given time, it will play a big role in ensuring that corruption is rooted out in the Municipality and those found of wrong doing face the law. Working together as members of various political parties we will succeed” he said.
Peter Davis (DA) – Davis, a former editor of the Sunday Tribune and graduate of Manchester University in the UK, is in his second term on the Committee. “I think this is a very useful Committee. In our first term of just six months we faced a lot of challenges, including suspicion from officials and politicians and getting our mindset right. Now, we are beginning to get to grips with corruption. But we still have a lot of hard work to do.” Davis said it would have been ideal to have the chairperson of the Committee come from an opposition party. “But I have no problem with Cllr Kaunda being chair. He is a very fair person. We just want to ensure that the ratepayers’ money is spent wisely.”
Andre Mitchell (DA) – With 31 years of public service, Mitchell has been a member of Exco in the former Outer West Council, a caucus leader and also sat on the Tenders Committee. “The Committee has got teeth and if everything is properly implemented it will go a long way towards fighting corruption.” Like other opposition members he has concerns about the chair going to the ANC. “I don’t want to take anything away from Cllr Kaunda. We have come a long way and we respect him. But why can’t things be the same as at national level, where Themba Godi from an opposition party chairs the Committee?” Mitchell holds a degree in public administration. He believes that if the Committee “Acts without fear or favour it will be successful in its fight against corruption.”
Prem Iyir (IFP) – Iyir is very passionate about rooting out corruption and, “Would like to see those caught face the full might of the law”. He has a Bachelor of Commerce Degree from UNISA and a procurement and management qualification and has served in various committees including Exco, Town Planning, and Infrastructure and Tenders. “I have been in Council for 15 years and lectured part-time in procurement management for six years at the ML Sultan Technikon. I believe the Committee is working very well. The only problem is that the chair and deputy chair comes from the ruling party. But that is not the be all and end all of everything. “The supply chain management and tenders Committee also needs to be revamped. Otherwise, M-Pac is a move to the right direction. Given time, the city will reap the benefits.”
Deveraj Pillay (MF) – Pillay believes that the Committee is a very important component of the city. “Our job is to hold officials and departments to account and to ensure that the public’s money is spent wisely.” A new member to the Committee, Pillay said, “From what I have read and learned in the short time I have been a member to this structure I can attest that it works. Here there are no politics, just issues relating to management of the city and how rate payers money is spent. “We are here to root out corruption. We work very well together even though we come from various political parties and everyone understands the importance of the job.” Pillay has a financial management qualification and has served in the Infrastructure Committee.
Ahmed Shaik Emam (NFP) – Shaik Emam, who has a diploma in Paralegal services, believes the Committee is long overdue. “This is a brilliant idea, which will contribute towards rooting out corruption. As a Committee we will strive for transparency, because we have to hold the Units in the Municipality accountable. If we are sincere in our work we will succeed.” He said the Committee would help put fear into, “Those who abuse their positions. There is still a lot of work to be done, but it is pleasing that the Committee is made up of various political parties. This clearly shows the intent of the present government to root out corruption.” He said the Mayor Nxumalo’s stance on corruption was welcome news. “Because it show support from him and his administration.”