Gauteng MEC for cooperative governance & traditional affairs (Cogta) Jacob Mamabolo says officials at the province's municipalities are now being trained to address issues before they get out of hand to help them root out maladministration.
He was speaking on Thursday during the second leg of the joint parliamentary committee oversight where municipalities such as those in Johannesburg and Tshwane were set to make presentations to MPs on maladministration and governance issues in their metros.
The Gauteng leg of the oversight visit comprises the Portfolio Committee on Cogta, the Standing Committee on Public Accounts and the Standing Committee on the Auditor-General to address the challenges of underperforming municipalities.
On Mondays we look at communication, Tuesdays at integrated law enforcement, Wednesdays at water supply, and Thursdays at turnaround and infrastructure. Sometimes municipalities say we call them to too many meetings, but we believe this is the best way to go.
— Gauteng MEC for Cogta Jacob Mamabolo
According to Mamabolo they are addressing the challenges through the weekly Intergovernmental Relations (IGR) system introduced in 2024 to help towards achieving better-run municipalities.
“The nature of the problems we have means no single sphere of government can deal with these challenges alone. Things tend to work much better when we partner and when we work together,” he said.
Mamabolo detailed how weekly IGR meetings track municipal priorities.
“On Mondays we look at communication, Tuesdays at integrated law enforcement, Wednesdays at water supply, and Thursdays at turnaround and infrastructure. Sometimes municipalities say we call them to too many meetings, but we believe this is the best way to go.
“We want municipalities to interact with the Auditor-General throughout the year, not only once. Oversight must reduce irregular, wasteful expenditure and drive consequence management,” he said.
In his presentation, MEC for economic development Lebogang Maile focused on municipal finances, reporting a 76% aggregate spending rate, with Tshwane leading at 96%.
“These results show what is possible with dedicated financial management, but poor revenue collection continues to constrain cash flow, underscoring the urgent need to strengthen municipal revenue systems.”
On budget funding, Maile said only five of Gauteng’s 11 municipalities adopted fully funded budgets for 2025/26, though Lesedi has appealed its assessment.
“The continued growth of unauthorised, irregular, fruitless and wasteful expenditure is unacceptable. Municipalities must deal decisively with this or face consequences of noncompliance.”
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