eThekwini Municipality has emerged as the leading contributor to irregular expenditure among South Africa’s municipalities, according to the Auditor-General of South Africa (AGSA). Speaking before the Standing Committee on Public Accounts on Tuesday, AGSA’s KwaZulu-Natal Business Unit Leader, Nomalungelo Mkhize, confirmed that eThekwini’s irregular expenditure reached R2.4 billion for the 2022/2023 financial year.
Mkhize cited insufficient consequence management as a primary factor, highlighting repeat issues that have prevented eThekwini from achieving a clean audit. “They remain in the unqualified with findings zone because issues raised aren’t being addressed,” she noted.
The report also pointed to delays and backlogs in investigations, with some cases unresolved as of the 2023 financial year. Mkhize emphasized that taking further action could have significantly reduced irregular expenditure, stating, “Just being able to address those findings could have alleviated at least R2 billion of the irregular spending.”
The AGSA’s audit findings have spotlighted the need for prompt action to improve governance and reduce wasteful expenditure across municipalities.