The Ekurhuleni Metro’s ongoing failure to ensure proper accountability and consequence management in respect of irregular expenditure is unacceptable.
During a council meeting on 31 August, several recommendations were tabled to the Council to write off more than R140 million in historical irregular expenditure. This is but a drop in the ocean compared to the billions of rand written off over the past five years.
A single report recommended that R53 104 669 be written off as irrecoverable. The report further noted that the relevant documentation and, in some cases, staff who were involved in these historical matters are no longer available or reachable.
The Freedom Front Plus (VF Plus) simply cannot endorse a system that allows irregular expenditure to remain unresolved for years, until such a time that investigations or the recovery of the funds has become so difficult that the only other option is to simply write it off.
Writing off irregular expenditure should never become a substitute for consequence management.
When officials are guilty of misconduct or negligence, they must be held accountable. Whenever money can be recovered, it must be recovered. Where contractors fail to meet their obligations, the Metro must act decisively.
Every rand the Metro spends belongs to the residents of Ekurhuleni. Residents are expected to pay their municipal bills and comply with the law. So, they have every right to expect the same standard of accountability from the Municipality.
The Freedom Front Plus will keep fighting for transparency, accountability and sound management of public funds.
The party will not turn a blind eye to corruption, maladministration or the misuse of residents’ money.
Ekurhuleni needs a culture where transgressions lead to consequences, not a culture where failures are eventually written off and forgotten.
