Umzinyathi District Mayor James Mthethwa has stated that Council is committed to receiving a clean audit for the year 2013/14. This was revealed during a visit from Jonathan Soobramoney from the Auditor General’s office on February 5.
Mr Soobramoney told Council that the Auditor General’s office is very concerned about irregular expenditure by the Umzinyathi District Municipality (UDM) of about R12,7-million, as a result of not complying with Municipal Supply Chain Management policies. He said the municipality has incurred material water losses of 55,95%, which have cost R38,76-million. Soobramoney also emphasised that the UDM has raised provision for bad dept on consumer debtors amounting to R100,47-million. He said the recoverability of these amounts is considered to be doubtful. Soobramoney also questioned the reason why no Municipal Public Accounts Committee or Audit Committee members were present to advise the Council.
He said that the Umzinyathi Technical Services Department must formulate an action plan to prevent the loss of so much water in future.
After the presentation councillors entered into a hot debate, in which they dismissed the report made by a special ad hoc committee which was tasked with investigating allegations of misuse of the mayoral vehicle (a Golf GTI) by a councillor, and a municipal vehicle (Toyota Quantum) by a certain staff member.
Councillors, including the mayor, felt that the report from the committee was ‘incomplete’: “It is based on one side of the story.”
However, committee Chairperson NP Zulu argued that they have followed correct procedures, and all reports from relevant structures have been completed. She said the reason they did not mention a particular councillor, is that the councillor in question did not attend meetings in which he was to be interviewed by the committee.
Zulu said that he asked to be excused from the first meeting. At another meeting he asked to be given time to prepare his presentation.
“We had given him enough time to prepare his presentation, and so we instructed him to hand over his presentation to Municipal Manager Mdu Mngomezulu, which he never did.” It was resolved that the issue be put on record in the minutes.
Former Umzinyathi Mayor Mbangiseni Yengwa lamanted the fact that Endumeni Mayor Thulani Mahaye ‘has a record of not submitting reports on time’. Mahaye is to provide a feedback report from the sub-committe, of which he is the head, at the next meeting.
For the up-coming annual strategic meeting it was mentioned that five of the local Amakhosi have indicated that they will be present. Councillor Zulu questioned the validity of having eleven bodyguards present at the meeting, to which Speaker Bongani Chambule replied that some of the councillors also need their own bodyguards.
Mayor James Mthethwa then raised his concerns about the water issues in the district.
He said that they have taken the issue of water in Umzinyathi for granted, but they have realised that providing a water service is a department on its own. He stated that, “It is shocking that there are areas in which people have been denied water for a year, and yet municipal officials know nothing about this.” Mthethwa said Council has been receiving reports from relevant officials that water operations are running smoothly, and that people are receiving water on a daily basis. “Water and sanitation are the core functions of the district,” Mayor Mthethwa added.
