One municipality in the Free State, owes over R8 billion to a water board. In addition, it has not deducted pension contributions from workers’ salaries.
Followed closely, a joint parliamentary delegation, found that Municipality is paying millions in unauthorised overtime.
Dr Zweli Mkhize, Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA), including members from the Standing Committee on Public Accounts and the Standing Committee on the Auditor-General, as well as several of the Provincial Legislature (MPLs) in the Free State, engaged 23 municipalities in the Free State and are scheduled to conclude a month-long oversight visit.
On Wednesday, the committees engaged the four remaining Municipalities- Setsoto, Dihlabeng, Nketoana and Phumelela Local Municipalities.
The Committee also found Municipalities owe billions in unpaid debt. They also had to account for litigation driven by unpaid service providers; irregular tenders; decades-long impunity; and unauthorised, irregular, fruitless and wasteful expenditure reported to be over R7 billion in some municipalities.
The Committees are expected to move to North West and Gauteng at the beginning of September.