Mayor Makhubo re-affirms commitment to transparency on Covid-19 spending

The executive mayor of Johannesburg, councillor Geoffrey Makhubo, has re-affirmed the City’s commitment to transparency and accountability on the City’s procurement and expenditure on Covid-19 related items.

From the onset, the executive mayor made a commitment both to Council and to leaders of political parties within Council to provide regular reports on expenditure related to Covid-19 for scrutiny by Council and for the information of residents.

Over and above that, the City also commissioned its own internal audit of Covid-19 procurement and expenditure which has unearthed some areas of non-compliance and possible illegal activities which are now under investigation by the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) and the City’s Group Forensic and Investigative Services.

“We are eagerly awaiting the finalisation of Phase Two of the internal audit report, which must be processed via the Group Audit Committee and to the Mayoral Committee and finally, Council. Once this report is finalised, we will once again move swiftly to act against any persons who may be implicated or alleged to have acted improperly,” said Makhubo.

A progress report on Phase Two of the internal audit was presented to the Council and once finalised, the final report will be tabled before Council. The report was due in December 2020 and the executive mayor has expressed his strong dissatisfaction with the delays to the City manager and responsible managers.

The executive mayor has also written to the SIU to request an update on their investigations and progress thus far.

“It is in the interests of the City and accountability that these investigations are finalised speedily. “As a City we are satisfied that in the best possible ways we have managed to contribute significantly to the well-being and safety of our residents and employees during the pandemic.

“Through the provision of augmented services in water provision, sanitation, waste collection, temporary housing and other interventions such as the provision of personal protective equipment to frontline workers, we have managed to provide a safety net for many that could have been infected and affected,” said Makhubo.