According to the Auditor-General (AG), municipalities in the province not only failed to produce clean audits but has their expenses exceed revenue. Head of the AG in the Free State, Luthando Mbandazayo, says their latest report only includes the audit outcomes of 15 municipalities out of 23, due to those that failed to make submissions of their financial statements. He says the majority of municipalities in the province are in a vulnerable position largely due to a lack of accountability.

Mbandazayo says this is further evident in their increasing debts to service providers and how they fail to meet the 30-day payment rule.

According to the report presented by Mbandazayo, municipalities are further coughing up millions on the use of consultants without any tangible value - 17 of them have spent R46.6 million on consultants during the 2018/19 financial year alone despite having to spend money on salary costs of staff in the finance units.

Mbandazayo has highlighted that 100% of municipalities in Xhariep, Mangaung, and Thabo Mufutsanyana particularly require urgent intervention while others are also of great concern.

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