Mokgoro, addressing senior municipal officials, Treasury and Cogta MEC during a webinar on Tuesday, said the time has come for municipalities to carry out their duties and priorities to residents.

Whilst the focus was solely on the use of consultants, Mokgoro said the time has come for municipal budgets to be channelled towards services delivery and the needs of communities.

He said none of the North West municipalities produced clean audits in the 2019/20 financial year, and continue to receive adverse financial reports from the office of the Auditor-General (AG).

This, despite having spent over R227 million on consultants in a single financial year.

Mokgoro said all 22 municipalities in the province are in disarray.

He further highlighted that the recent closure of the Clover plant in Ditsobotla is indicative of how municipalities need to prioritise service delivery instead of pumping millions into services that are not of good use to the financial health of municipalities nor its communities.

Acting Head of the AG in the North West, Mthokozisi Sibisi, during his presentation outlined how municipalities in the province are characterised by a lack of internal financial control, and lack of accountability that has led to poor governance and a collapse of services.

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