For years, Nelson Mandela Bay’s staggering mountain of unauthorised, irregular, fruitless and wasteful expenditure has grown within the municipality.
Today, that figure stands at more than R28bn, the highest of any municipality in SA.
Behind every rand is a possibility that proper processes were not followed.
The latest intervention by the Municipal Public Accounts Committee should not be viewed as a political exercise.
It is a long-overdue demand for answers.
ACDP councillor Lance Grootboom, backed by the municipal public accounts committee, has demanded clarity on how the metro plans to clear more than R28bn in unauthorised, irregular, fruitless and wasteful expenditure from its books.
The committee has given the metro until June 30 to provide a detailed roadmap, timelines and accountability measures for delivering on the clean-up plan approved by council.
The municipality has repeatedly adopted strategies, action plans and resolutions promising reform.
Yet that figure continues to climb.
How can it be that the city accumulated R28bn in financial misconduct-related expenditure and no one is held accountable?
Councillors have repeatedly expressed frustration that reports are not being provided and their deadlines are being missed.
Even more alarming is the National Treasury’s warning that grant funding could be withheld because the city has failed to deal with the problem.
That is a direct threat to funding for essential municipal services.
The municipality’s newly adopted strategy aims to resolve at least 10% of the accumulated amount and achieve zero new irregular, fruitless, wasteful or unauthorised expenditure from July 1.
Those are ambitious targets. But targets mean little without action.
If rules were broken, officials responsible must be identified.
If misconduct occurred, disciplinary and criminal processes must follow.
If losses can be recovered, then that too must happen.
This financial crisis did not emerge overnight. It was years in the making due to poor controls and weak oversight.
The residents deserve a municipality that treats public money with care. The time for accountability is now.
