Note to Editors: Please find attached English and Sesotho soundbites by Cllr Mbali Mnaba and Afrikaans soundbite by Cllr Linda Louwrens.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) in the Fezile Dabi District Municipality welcomes the Council’s approval of the establishment of an internal multi-disciplinary task team to assist the Municipal Public Accounts Committee (MPAC) in addressing the long-standing backlog of Unauthorised, Irregular, Fruitless and Wasteful (UIFW) expenditure amounting to R 201 million.
It is important to note that the UIFW backlog began to accumulate before the induction of the 2021 municipal council, and investigations have been slow due to limited administrative capacity. Hence, it was necessary to establish a task team of this kind to fast-track investigations.
The task team will not replace MPAC, but will strengthen its capacity by providing the technical expertise required to address the UIFW in Fezile Dabi.
Moreover, this task team will be implemented using existing resources and relevant internal staff members with expertise in legal, compliance, auditing, and supply chain management disciplines, ensuring no additional financial burden on residents while still prioritising accountability.
This intervention aligns with the requirements of the Municipal Finance Management Act (MFMA) and reinforces Council’s constitutional obligation to ensure sound financial management.
Failure to address these R201 million UIFW can result in negative audit outcomes, reputational damage, and financial risk to the municipality.
However, the DA will closely monitor the task team’s progress at all MPAC sittings to ensure that investigations are conducted efficiently and that findings lead to real consequences management.
The DA believes that this is a progressive and much-needed step towards continuously improving accountability and rebuilding public trust in Fezile Dabi.