COSATU Free State condemns the failure of Nala, Mafube and Masilonyana Municipalities to submit financial statements to the Auditor General

09 November 2023

The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) in the Free State is shocked yet unsurprised by the news that Nala, Mafube and Masilonyana Municipalities have failed to submit their financial statements. Shocking as it may be, it has become a usual occurrence in the Free State and as usual there will be no consequence!

It is our understanding that the submission of financial statements is a fiduciary duty of all municipalities on each financial year. The process is designed to preform quality assurance for the public that the public purse is being utilized and managed with the necessary care and caution. Thus, the failure to submit means in our understanding that the respective administrative and political leadership in municipalities have taken a clear decision to shirk their responsibility to account to the AG and to the public by implication. That kind of situation can never be acceptable in any language!

We have noted that for almost four years in succession the AG report has been identifying the Free State as lacking a political will to resolve issues that have to do with accountability for the utilization of the public purse. It is worrying that the people given responsibility to manage the public purse would derelict their duties in this manner and there are no consequences for such.

As COSATU Free State we condemn with the strongest possible terms the culture and practice of lack of accountability and no consequences for people who fail to account. It is embarrassing enough that we are classified as the province which lacks political will to make people account when we were the only province that was paraded in front of Judge Zondo’s State of Capture Commission.

It is our view that the deployees of the movement at political level and the officials appointed at administrative level should face the consequences for failing to comply with the law. As the Federation we make a call that the heads should roll in these instances.

The ANC should fire the Mayors, Municipal Managers and Chief Financial Officers who have failed to submit or failed to cause the submission to be made. We firmly believe that if our Alliance partner is serious on renewal and turning the perceptions of the community and voters, that unpopular but decisive step should be taken as a matter of urgency.

As COSATU Free State we will not allow the practice to continue where people who collapse municipalities and some provincial departments continue to occupy offices in corridors of power and enjoy the perks whilst the credibility of the ANC and that of the Alliance by extension continues to bite the dust! We are going to pursue consequence management for mismanagement even if we would be the only ones!

The struggle continues!

Issued by COSATU Free State

For more information, please contact:

Monyatso oa Mahlatsi(COSATU Free State Provincial Secretary)
Tel: 051 447 5499
Cell: 076 115 9923