This, as the Standing Committee on the Auditor-General in Parliament holds a committee meeting. The meeting underway has so far painted a gloom picture of irregular expenditure incurred by municipalities and how their lack of financial controls severely affects their ability to deliver services to their residents. 

National Assembly Chairperson of the Standing Committee on the Auditor-General, Sakhumzi Somyo, has told the House that continuous disregard of the AG's reports and recommendations is one of the challenges faced by the chapter nine institution, which often also drives municipalities into a deeper financial rut.

Addressing a virtual sitting on Wednesday morning over the Committee's report for the 2019/20 financial year, Somyo has indicated that the intimidation of the AG's audit managers and officials is another challenge that they are still faced with.

The late Auditor-General Kimi Makwetu has in the past told the same Standing Committee on the Auditor-General that there were a number of instances of intimidation and threats against the staff of the AG while they were executing their duties in municipalities.

The committee has so far appealed to government spheres to take heed of the AG's reports and recommendations in order to produce favourable audit outcomes.  

OFM News has previously reported that none of the municipalities in the Free State or North West produced clean audits for the past financial year.

OFM News