The audit report has remained unchanged from 2020/2021 due to the municipality’s continued failure to keep full and proper records to support the amounts in the annual financial statements. As a result, the Democratic Alliance (DA) has called for the MDM to be put under administration. DA’s Lebbeus Ramalepe told the Herald that the audit report clearly indicates that the ANC-led district municipality is unable to run the local government properly. He further said that MDM is notorious for empty boreholes and highly unauthorised, fruitless and wasteful expenditure.

“This is yet another slap in the face for service delivery for the thousands of residents who rely on the municipality for water and other services,” he said. Meanwhile the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) Mopani chairperson, Simon Mangena said that the red beret party is planning a mass action against MDM. “We believe one of the reasons for the dismal failure to account for the expenditure, is caused by the employment of unqualified individuals. You cannot put people who are not formally trained and qualified into positions where skills are required.

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This tells us that the leadership of the institution lacks morals, professionalism, and leadership,” Mangena said. MDM’s spokesman, Odas Ngobeni, confirmed that the council is disappointed, but also said that their view is that the institution can still turn things around if it pays attention to the areas raised by the auditor-general. “We are dealing with historic findings around unauthorised, irregular, wasteful, fruitless expenditures, the bulk of which dates back as far as 2009.

“It’s a mammoth task, but the commitment from the fifth council is to resolve each and every finding, which requires the council to investigate, work that is done through MPAC. The volume of work comes at a high cost and even if the council is disappointed by the audit opinion, there is hope that we will soon turn things around,” he said. Ngobeni concluded by stating that they are also strengthening internal control systems and their record management which have been weaknesses directly contributing to the negative audit findings.