ActionSA Welcomes Call By The AG to Transform Local Government

ActionSA notes the Auditor-General’s report which paints a bleak picture of the dysfunctional state of local government.

Local government, a sphere closest to the people and entrusted with delivery of basic services, is failing to fulfil its constitutional mandate due to the neglection of good governance principles.

1. Of great concern to ActionSA is:
   78% of the municipalities have not been able to register progress since the previous financial year,
2. 91% of the municipalities did not attain a clean audit
3. Persistent increasing unwanted expenditure
   o Irregular expenditure = R119,07 billion,
   o unauthorised expenditure = R86,46 billion,
   o fruitless and wasteful = R11,04 billion.
4. The declining financial position of municipalities and the inability of municipalities to raise revenue and the increasing dependence on Equitable Share,
5. Lack of performance management processes and systems,
6. Exclusion of residents in Public Participation processes of the municipalities, and the failure to address all service delivery concerns in the service delivery and budget implementation plans, and
7. Poor management of infrastructure.

ActionSA is committed to its mission to fix South Africa, starting with local government. Where elected to govern we are relentlessly committed to customer-centric governance that delivers service with pride and ethical and professional public service, among others. Our elected representatives are already at work to reverse the legacy of corruption and failed service delivery that has become synonymous with the ANC.

Therefore, ActionSA is standing to be counted in the call to “instil a culture of performance, accountability, transparency and integrity” in local government. We will continue to focus on improving institutions by going back to good governance principles.

More specifically, where we are in government, our councillors will be scrutinising the AG report and identifying the areas where these municipalities have been found wanting. We will leading the charge in championing consequence and performance management, inter alia:

1. Effective Performance Management framework for senior officials.
2. Lifestyle audit of all senior officials.
3. Effective consequence management framework.
4. Institutional review that is preceded by skills audit.

We will continue to drive service delivery and innovative approaches to ensure economic growth and job creation for our people.