The Tshwane Metro’s poor governance and substandard administration have led to some serious consequences seeing as the National Treasury (NT) has threatened to stop allocating grants to the Metro.
At the latest meeting of the Tshwane Metro Council, a report was tabled proposing a policy on the prevention of unauthorised, irregular, fruitless and wasteful expenditure.
At first glance, this policy appears to be a step in the right direction, and the Freedom Front Plus (VF Plus) will always welcome additional oversight and accountability in the supply chain process.
However, when the report and its annexures are thoroughly examined, it sets alarm bells ringing.
The Freedom Front Plus notes with concern that this policy was compiled solely in reaction to the NT giving notice of its intention to stop all grant funding to the Metro due to serious shortcomings in compliance processes.
What is even more alarming is that it is municipal officials’ failure to respond to correspondence from the NT that prompted this step.
If the NT were to withhold grant funding, it would seriously jeopardise service delivery in the Metro.
According to the proposed draft budget for the 2026/2027 financial year, the Metro is relying on R7,7 billion from the national government to balance its books.
To make matters worse, the correspondence and the proposed policy were handled by the former Chief Financial Officer, Garath Mnisi, shortly before he was suspended pending an investigation into his alleged involvement in undermining the supply chain.
The Freedom Front Plus cannot endorse a policy drafted by someone under suspicion.
The party, therefore, voted against the policy and demands that the administration address this self-made crisis with the seriousness and urgency it warrants.
