Cllr Peter Verbeek (DA Shadow MMC for Economic Development) writes:
The non-compliance of the Emfuleni Local Municipality’s Executive Mayor, the Municipal Manager and the Chief Financial Officer with critical financial policy requirements entails an exponential risk of management of the municipality.
Section 5.1 of the Draft Budget Policy stipulates that “…..this policy and its annexures should be reviewed at least annually by the Chief Financial Officer”. During last year’s IDP and Budget Process, this glaring omission was highlighted and the Executive Mayor was requested to comply with this policy. Section 3.2 of the Credit Control, Debt Collection and Customer Care Policy states unequivocally “…..The democratically elected Councillors are responsible for policy-making, while it is the responsibility of the Municipal Manager, to ensure the execution of these policies”. Without updating critical financial policies, how are staff expected to implement policies so that residents can access benefits of taxpayers’ money allocated for various purposes?

Subsequently, Section 3.5 details “….Billing must be accurate, timeous and understandable”. The current billing is an absolute mess with indiscriminate misuse of “monthly estimates” as to electricity and water consumption of residents. The monthly “Section 71 Reports” highlighting monthly revenue and expenditure has for the past five to six years detailed “incorrect” financial information. Not correctly recording the Debtors Analysis (Tables C1 and SC3) could be construed as tantamount to falsification of official financial information!

Section 4.1.2 commences with “…The Executive Mayor shall at least once a year cause an evaluation or review credit control and debt collection policy to be performed……” read together with Section 4.1.3 “….The Executive Mayor shall submit a report for Council regarding the implementation of the credit control and debt collection policy…” details the pivotal position of the Executive Mayor in ensuring that our critical financial policies are reviewed annually to ensure that Emfuleni Council and Emfuleni Local Municipality are singing from the same music sheet to the benefit of all the residents of Emfuleni.

The annual condonement of critical financial policies without periodic review entails that these policies are not moving with our times. Ultimately, these policies are not updated for aspects such as flexi-time, or a more current performance appraisal of staff which logically should filter into consequence management of staff and the quarterly reporting thereof.