City of Tshwane told to own up after damning auditor-general report

While the multi-party coalition government plans to engage the Tshwane executive after the city’s damning audit report released by the auditor-general, a political analyst believes the multi-party government should avoid excuses and acknowledge their mistakes.

As the leaked report revealed, auditor-general (AG) Tsakani Maluleke found R10 billion worth of irregular expenditure in Tshwane.

She also suggested the municipality had been manipulating its financial statements in an attempt to hide the irregularities.

Political analyst Levy Ndou said the coalition in Tshwane, led by the Democratic Alliance (DA), started in 2016 and anyone who blamed the coalition led by the DA had all the reasons to blame them.

Tshwane must ‘acknowledge mistakes’

“The AG was an office to ensure there is accountability and strengthens our democracy.

And what ordinary citizens would love to hear now and see happening is for the City of Tshwane to acknowledge their mistakes and make a commitment to rectify their mistakes,” he said.

ALSO READ: AG audit findings: DA ‘has proven incompetent to run Tshwane’

“With humility, they should take responsibility and make a commitment to rectify where they can.”

With the city of Tshwane now flagged for serious irregularities and failing to submit the correct paperwork, Maluleke also highlighted a misrepresentation of the financial position of the city in the 2021/2022 financial year.

Coalition parties to engage Tshwane executive

Tshwane multi-party coalition spokesperson Dr Corné Mulder said the coalition parties would engage Tshwane’s executive for plans on the audit report.

Mulder said from the outset, the multi-party coalition was unequivocal in expressing its disappointment with the audit findings and expected urgent remedial action, deep reform, and real accountability.

“Our efforts to displace failed ANC governance can never see regressions in the standards of good governance,” he said.

Historical problems

Mulder said it could be noted that when the current multi-party government took over the reins at the metro five months after the 2021/2022 financial year commenced, there were deep historical problems underpinning the report, predating even that financial year.

According to Mulder, when the coalition government took control after the November 2021 elections, they did not inherit a clean slate.

READ MORE: Auditor-general flags ‘serious irregularities’ in City of Tshwane’s finances

“At that stage we were already more than five months into the financial year,” he said.

“It is also true that the new administration inherited the previous chief financial officer and we will investigate in full how things happened to cause such an audit report,” he said.

However, Ndou said the party should have known of past recurrences taking place on their watch.

Tshwane Mayor Randall Williams said the contract of CFO Umar Banda had been terminated.

– lungas@citizen.co.za