Godongwana expected to announce further reform to municipalities - EWN

With local government elections exactly two weeks away, Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana is set to announce further reform to municipalities when he tables the Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement in Parliament on Wednesday.

Last month, he told the National Assembly that the National Treasury plans to clamp down on how municipalities spend their grants to ensure they are used in the manner intended.

The Democratic Alliance (DA) is calling for greater accountability from municipalities and says they must do more to recover water and electricity costs to pay their bulk suppliers.

Municipal failures are in the spotlight as political campaigns ramp up ahead of elections.

The DA’s finance spokesperson and members of Parliament (MP), Kingsley Wakelin, said municipal failures are an economic and fiscal risk that affects the ability to do business and create jobs.

He wants Godongwana to provide the house with a municipal financial recovery and accountability plan for service delivery, and says debt relief should come with strict conditions and consequences.