Representatives from both DOCRRA and KORA have recently completed a robust engagement process with the KwaDukuza Municipality (KDM) Municipal Public Accounts Committee (MPAC), reviewing, questioning and commenting on the Annual Report from the 2024/’25 financial year, following careful scrutiny of the report by the DOCRRA finance subcommittee, led by Brian Botes.
The MPAC meetings are a unique opportunity in the municipal calendar where civil society can question administrators, make comments on our views, and present suggestions to the Councillors who make up MPAC so that they in turn can include input from the community in their recommendations to Council, to be implemented by the administration. For more information about MPAC and its role, please watch the video above.
What is deeply concerning is that the recommendations made by MPAC are nearly identical to the previous year, indicating that both Council and administrators are not effectively dealing with the prioritisation and completion of these items, against the advice of this oversight committee, and internal audit and performance teams. Whilst some of these items pertain to long-term systemic challenges, it’s unacceptable that more is not being done to deliver better progress.
The recommendations that have been carried forward pertain to persistent energy losses, ageing infrastructure, consequence management policies and implementation, as well as addressing the audit findings of the Auditor General. Importantly, there is also an recommendation that Council must begin billing consumers who are receiving municipal services, such as waste collection, who are currently not paying but are not registered as indigent households.
There are, however, several new recommendations that have stemmed directly from the input of DOCRRA in this forum, outline below, with their significance detailed in italics:
– That management be urged to heed the recommendations made by internal audit and performance committees and treat those recommendations as a priority.
Our municipality does, in fact, have very capable internal audit, risk assessment and performance committees who have effectively identified challenges that have a material impact on service delivery. Their recommendations must be prioritised as they flow from detailed analysis and monitoring of these areas.
– That Management ensure that Supply Chain Management (SCM) processes and workflow are operating smoothly and timeously, with attention to meeting attendance quorums at committees and adequate support staff resources for minutes and compliance.
Delays in SCM processes mean delays in service delivery on the ground. For too long, some committees have failed to consistently meet quorums, minutes have been delayed, and there have been a high number of appeals.
– That Management actively involve and collaborate with the community in facing challenges and obstacles, giving consideration to any official proposals and offers of assistance made by them.
DOCRRA and our KORA allies are a willing partner in facing the challenges in our municipality and our communities, and are ready to collaborate and assist KDM. We will make more specific proposals to do so as the opportunity arises.
– That Management open all Municipal Public Accounts Committee meetings to civil society as stakeholder observers, subject to space, feasibility, agenda, and Council approval, and explore mechanisms such as virtual access to enable consistent participation.
There can be no accountability without transparency. Stakeholders in other municipalities have been able to attend all MPAC meetings whereas in KDM members of the public have been only given access to the oversight of the annual report segment. This recommendation will allow for much closer monitoring of how the committee are handling items related to irregular, fruitless or wasteful expenditure, for example.
The full list of questions and comments raised by DOCRRA and KORA are available from pages 26-45 of the oversight report (from page 494 of the full document) which can be accessed on the DOCRRA website here.
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