uMhlathuze Municipality second highest spender of Covid-19 funds in KZN

With R749.5-million spent by KwaZulu-Natal municipalities in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, uMhlathuze Municipality recorded the second highest expenditure with more than R89-million.

The city’s Covid-19 spend was disclosed by KZN MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta), Sipho Hlomuka, during a briefing at the KZN Legislature’s Cogta Portfolio Committee on Tuesday.

Uphongolo, Jozini and Mthonjaneni were also listed among the top 11 municipalities with the highest Covid-19 expenditure.

This latest report covered the period between 15 March and 11 September.

“While we appreciate that municipalities are an independent sphere of government, we have a responsibility to ensure that we thoroughly assess any expenditure to ascertain whether all relevant policies were followed during procurement,” Hlomuka told the committee.

The department has requested municipalities to provide a list of the service providers who were contracted.

Municipalities will also have to ensure that mayors table detailed reports on Covid-19 expenditure to councils for adoption.

“The department has also urged councils to assess expenditure on extraordinary measures introduced as a result of Covid-19 lockdown and to look into financial and non-financial reports to prevent unauthorised, irregular, fruitless and wasteful expenditure,” said Hlomuka.

Top 11 municipalities with the highest Covid-19 expenditure in KwaZulu-Natal

• eThekwini – R475 169 850
• uMhlathuze – R89 678 759
• Ugu – R28 876 322
• Msunduzi – R23 867 489
• Umzinyathi – R13 800 821
• Uphongolo – R12 918 763
• Ilembe – R8 749 406
• Jozini – R8 685 892
• Umdoni – R6 043 900
• Mthonjaneni – R5 650 284
• KwaDukuza – R4 796 432

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