Overall findings from the Auditor General for the 2021/2022 financial year note progress on various municipal matters, including compliance, but the R106-million water loss issue is concerning.
Repairs and maintenance of existing infrastructure must become a top priority for council to further reduce losses.
Over the years, the municipality has budgeted less than the national average of 8% for maintenance. This needs to be increased to a healthy level. Timely intervention and monitoring are required.
Another area where the council is bleeding is its inability or lack of capacity to collect current and arrear debts.
The debt has grown by almost R110-million from the previous year to R658-million.
Council relies heavily on grant funding, to the tune of almost 72% of the budget, therefore aggressive campaigns and ongoing incentives should be put in place to encourage consumers to pay.
While 17 000 indigent consumers receive 10kl of free water, continuous monitoring and restrictions should be put in place if they use more than 10kl and do not pay.
Government departments are also the culprits, not paying their dues in time. In this financial year, a 100% increase from the previous year was recorded, now sitting at R28-million.
This is unacceptable. We cannot have cosy relationships and apply double standards on debt collection. We are quick to disconnect residents and reluctant to disconnect government departments.
We must act without fear or favour.
Attending to consumer queries and resolving them in the shortest possible time could also improve our collection revenue.
Inadequate monitoring of contracts and projects resulted in R7.37-million fruitless and wasteful expenditure.
We believe the basic steps are not followed to prevent such expenditure, or is it deliberate that we pay more than the contract amount? This must stop.
It is sad to note that the Auditor General highlighted that no action is being taken against municipal officials identified by investigations for financial misconduct.
Anyone suspected of wrongdoing must be reported to the police. This is not happening, allowing for a breeding ground of corruption which is prevalent countrywide.
We demand that the new municipal manager stand firm on good governance.
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