Durban's struggles with financial mismanagement: A decade after Manase's warnings
This in-depth examination of Durban's financial mismanagement reveals a troubling pattern of inaction a decade after crucial warnings from the Manase investigation.
A decade after the Manase investigation raised concerns about eThekwini's financial controls, similar issues persist and are impacting residents. The investigation identified problems like irregular expenditure, procurement abuse, non-compliance with procurement rules, and conflicts of interest. The City has maintained an unqualified audit opinion, but its own records show areas needing attention.
In 2023/24, audited UIFW expenditure was R1.501 billion, increasing to R2.410 billion in 2022/23 and R1.619 billion in 2023/24. Write-offs and recoveries for irregular expenditure totaled R2.298 billion and R60.95 million respectively, with R1.816 billion recommended for 2025/26. Non-revenue water losses amounted to approximately R2.92 billion in 2024/25.
Despite progress, these issues remain, and residents need tangible outcomes to ensure their money is used effectively.
Written by urgent.news from IOL's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
