Shocking levels of ineptitude at SA municipalities
A new report shows that KwaZulu-Natal municipalities are owed as much as R13.5 billion – mostly by government departments.
News24 reported gross under-spending on critical infrastructure by municipalities in the province.
During the debate on the 4th Quarter Consolidated Statement of Municipalities’ Budget, municipalities were criticized for failing to spend grants specific projects ordered by the National Treasury.
News24 reported that funds mostly budgeted for infrastructure had to be returned to the National Treasury as municipalities failed to spend the money.
The report revealed the following:
- 41 municipalities underspent on operational expenditure to the tune of R3.3 billion
- R2.3 billion was underspent on capital expenditureR748,9 million in unspent conditional grants was returned to the National Revenue Fund in the previous financial year
- In total R1.7 billion in unspent conditional grants was returned to the National Revenue Fund over the 2010/11 to 2014/15 Medium Term Expenditure Framework.
Opposition MPLs described the situation in municipalities as a “sorry state of affairs”.
“There is no silver lining to the report on KZN municipalities. And there is no happy ending to this horror story, certainly not under the watch of the ANC,” said DA MPL Francois Rodgers.
“Twenty-two years since democracy and local government continues to regress in its mandate of effective governance, with absolutely no concrete action plans forthcoming. Instead, it remains the political dumping ground of failed cadre deployment with the people of KZN having to shoulder the burden.”