Note to Editors: Please find attached English and Sesotho soundbites Cllr Thabo Nthapo and Afrikaans soundbite by Cllr Johann Steenkamp
The Democratic Alliance (DA) will formally request provincial intervention, demand accountability for irregular expenditure, and call for the urgent appointment of competent senior management to stabilise Letsemeng Local Municipality.
The Auditor-General’s assessment of Letsemeng for the 2024/2025 financial year exposes severe governance, financial and service delivery failures under the ANC-led administration. The municipality received a qualified audit opinion, with recurring findings attributed to management’s failure to implement previous audit recommendations.
The report raises serious concern about financial sustainability. The municipality incurred a net deficit of R115,941,841, while its current liabilities exceeded its assets by R391,248,688. Continued non-compliance with supply chain management regulations resulted in R7,166,804 in irregular expenditure, alongside R196,384,909 in unauthorised expenditure. Furthermore, failure to settle long-outstanding accounts led to R38,731,400 in fruitless and wasteful expenditure.
Ongoing non-payment of Eskom and the misuse of conditional grants have placed essential services at risk, with National Treasury withholding funds. When financial mismanagement reaches this level, communities suffer through deteriorating infrastructure, unreliable services, and declining economic confidence.
Factional instability and the failure to appoint a Municipal Manager and Section 56 managers further weaken governance and oversight. The DA will intensify its efforts to ensure the removal of incompetent officials and restore constitutional compliance. Letsemeng requires decisive leadership and sound financial management to protect residents from further decline.