‘Municipalities are milked dry on their watch’: DA to lay criminal charges against municipal managers
DA says it is worried about many failing municipalities in the Free State province.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) plans to bring criminal charges against 10 municipal managers from South Africa's most troubled municipalities. These officials, hailing from provinces like the Eastern Cape, North West, and the Free State, have been identified by the DA as emblematic of widespread corruption and financial mismanagement.
The decision to take legal action stems from the Auditor-General's report, which has highlighted these managers' failures to disclose their financial records and adhere to recommendations from the AG's office.
George Michalakis, the DA parliamentary leader, criticized these municipal managers for failing to submit their financial reports and for disregarding the AG's advice. Michalakis emphasized that these individuals had overseen the deterioration of their communities while flouting procurement and financial laws. He vowed that the DA would pursue charges under section 173(1) of the Municipal Finance Management Act, which covers gross negligence, material accounting irregularities, and providing false information to the Auditor-General.
Michalakis called for the appointment of competent officials based on merit to enforce accountability and professionalize municipal administration.
Marina van Zyl, DA spokesperson on cooperative governance and traditional affairs, defended the DA's decision, stating that municipal managers possess significant power that can either uplift or devastate a municipality. She lamented that these officials often operate behind the scenes, leaving residents to suffer the consequences of their mismanagement. Van Zyl urged the DA to hold these officials accountable by appointing competent civil servants instead of career politicians.
Michalakis also pointed out that most of the municipal managers facing charges are from the Free State, suggesting that the province has been plagued by a culture of mismanagement. He attributed this to the legacy of corruption left by Ace Magashule's tenure in the province. The DA aims to break this cycle by ensuring that municipal managers are held to account for their actions.
Written by urgent.news from The Citizen's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
