Mbombela to stop wasting money
The City of Mbombela Local Municipality is tightening the screws on wasteful expenditure.
MBOMBELA – Municipal manager, Neil Diamond, said he means business and officials who do not comply will face disciplinary action and even, possibly, criminal charges.
“We are going to stop wasting the taxpayers’ money,” he told Lowvelder.
The measures in the Municipal Cost Containment Regulations 2019, which was gazetted by national Treasury on Friday June 7, are extensive.
They are aimed at ensuring that the resources of municipalities are used effectively, efficiently and economically.
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Diamond said the regulations will be implemented as of July 1, the start of the municipality’s financial year, and will apply to all officials and political office bearers.
He intends for the City of Mbombela Local Municipality to be the first, if not in the entire country, then in the province, to implement the cost curtailment measures.
“This greatly strengthens my hand, as they are exactly in line with my turnaround strategy,” Diamond said about the new regulations.
The City said that the municipality will update and revise its cost containment policy, which must be adopted by the council by the end of the month.
“The policy will compel municipal officials and political office bearers to reduce costs on all levels of the municipality.”
The cost containment measures must be disclosed in the budget reports and the savings disclosed in the annual report.
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“The aggregate amounts saved per quarter, together with the regular reports on reprioritisation of cost savings and on the implementation of the cost containment measures, must be submitted to the municipal council for review and resolution,” the municipality stated.
With it goes a lot of luxuries formerly freely available to staff. The regulations explicitly state that no municipal resources may be used to fund any elections or campaign activities (including the provision of food, clothing or printing brochures) for any political party at any time.
Diamond emhasised that the municipality had never budgeted for, or given any funds, to any political party or political activities.
Mbombela is also to limit its use of consultants.
