No increase: Councillors punished for fruitless and wasteful expenditure
Ugu has been experiencing financial constraints for more than three years.
UGU council’s application for an increase has been declined by MEC for Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Nomusa Dube-Ncube.
In a letter addressed to the Ugu mayor, Ntombifikile Gumede, which was read in council last Thursday, the MEC stated that she will not give Ugu councillors an increase due to the municipality’s disclaimer audit outcome in the 2012/2013 financial year.
‘The municipality has been experiencing financial constraints for more than three years, due to the lack of proper reporting and record keeping’, the MEC stated in the letter.
She added that the Auditor-General reported unauthorised, irregular, fruitless and wasteful expenditure for the year. She also said in her letter that these issues were not effectively addressed and resolved, which had led to the same issues, among others, contributing to the disclaimer outcome.
MEC Dube-Ncube said councillors will not be getting an increase because the municipality has regressed from a qualified audit opinion in 2011/2012 to a disclaimer in 2012/2013.
The MEC’s letter follows a request from Ugu councillors for salary, allowance and benefit increases for the 2013/2014 financial year.
Ugu speaker S’thembiso Cele said councillors should not give up as they would be taking the matter to national level.
“We will be taking the matter to the South African Local Government Association (SALGA) and see how it can intervene,” said Cllr Cele.
