The Democratic Alliance (DA) says it will open criminal cases against 10 municipal managers from nine municipalities over what it describes as repeated failures in financial management and accountability.
The party said the officials identified include six municipal managers from the Free State, two from the Eastern Cape, one from North West and one from the Western Cape.
According to the DA, the officials have presided over municipalities that have repeatedly received disclaimer audit opinions, failed to implement recommendations from the Auditor-General and allowed serious financial management shortcomings to continue.
The party said some municipalities had received consecutive disclaimer opinions, with certain financial management failures allegedly continuing for as long as a decade.
The DA said the criminal complaints would be pursued under Section 173(1) of the Municipal Finance Management Act, which provides for offences involving gross negligence, material accounting irregularities and the submission of false information to the Auditor-General.
The party said it intends to use the criminal cases to strengthen accountability and address what it regards as persistent failures in municipal administration.
“The DA’s plan is clear,” the party said, outlining its commitment to appointing competent officials on merit, enforcing accountability and professionalising municipal administration through ongoing skills development.
The DA has not yet publicly identified all 10 municipal managers against whom it intends to lay charges.