The Tshwane metro has cut down accumulated unauthorised, irregular, fruitless and wasteful (UIFW) expenditure by nearly R15-billion in the 2025/26 financial year.

The metro described this milestone as the largest reduction achieved in the past five years by the Municipal Public Accounts Committee (MPAC).

The reduction follows months of investigations into historical financial irregularities, with MPAC concluding cases worth about R15-billion.

Of that amount, the committee recommended that around R11-billion be recovered, while around R4-billion be written off after being assessed in line with applicable legislation.

MPAC Chairperson Godwin Ratikwane said the committee had made significant progress during the 2025/26 financial year by concluding investigations into historical UIFW expenditure.

He said at the start of the financial year, the city had accumulated more than R22-billion in UIFW expenditure dating back several financial years.

“Through oversight, investigations and collaboration with city stakeholders, MPAC dealt with around 65% of this historical balance in a single financial year. It is a significant achievement,” he explained.

“It is the highest reduction recorded over the past five financial years and reflects our commitment to restoring fiscal discipline and ensuring public funds are managed responsibly.”

Ratikwane described the outcome as a major milestone in strengthening accountability and restoring sound financial governance within the municipality.

“The progress made during the 2025/26 financial year demonstrates what can be achieved through focused oversight, accountability and co-operation between MPAC and the city’s stakeholders,” said Ratikwane.

He said the committee believes its work has played an important role in improving the city’s financial governance and reducing the risk of constitutional intervention by the National Treasury.

“The reduction in UIFW expenditure has helped address long-standing governance concerns and contributed positively towards strengthening the city’s financial position,” he said.

However, Ratikwane acknowledged that serious challenges remain, particularly regarding consequence management.

He said the committee remains concerned about the slow implementation of council resolutions aimed at recovering financial losses and holding officials accountable for misconduct.

“Reducing historical UIFW expenditure is only one part of the solution. Those responsible for financial misconduct must face appropriate consequences, and council resolutions relating to recovery processes must be implemented without delay. We cannot allow a culture of non-compliance to continue undermining public confidence in the city.”

Ratikwane said the MPAC will recommend stronger accountability measures in its annual performance report to ensure officials implicated in financial misconduct are held responsible.

He added that the committee remains committed to investigating every instance of UIFW expenditure in line with applicable legislation and ensuring appropriate recommendations are submitted to council.

He also expressed confidence that the appointment of acting City Manager Musa Khumalo would strengthen governance and support MPAC’s efforts to improve accountability and oversight within the metro.

“The committee looks forward to working with the acting city manager to further improve governance, strengthen oversight mechanisms and ensure the city continues on a path towards financial stability and accountability,” he said.

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