The chairperson of Parliament’s Standing Committee on Public Accounts (Scopa), Songezo Zibi, has warned that the dire situation at two of South Africa’s largest metropolitan municipalities shows how quickly governance can collapse, citing “too much political incompetence” as a driving factor.
Scopa held hearings this week with the Mangaung and Ekurhuleni metropolitan municipalities, based on the latest findings of the Auditor-General and ongoing investigations by the Special Investigating Unit (SIU). The committee focused on Ekurhuleni, where the SIU uncovered the fraudulent transfer of 208 municipal properties worth R2 billion, sparking several criminal cases and further scrutiny over governance failures.
Zibi said both metros demonstrate how things can go wrong in a very short space of time. He noted that the deterioration of Mangaung had accelerated rapidly between 2021 and 2023, while in Ekurhuleni, a scheme linked to the compromise of the IT system allowed people to clear their accounts improperly, resulting in losses of about R2 billion.
“This is money that was used for the livelihoods of people, whether it be in hospitals or in service delivery. It is basically the stealing of funds,” Zibi said.
He added that in some instances, criminal liability clearly applies, but there are also areas where serious incompetence is to blame. Zibi observed that in local government, battles often arise between professionals and politicians because politicians hold the power of council resolutions and can give instructions that lead to poor outcomes.
The Scopa chairperson also pointed to cases where a political majority in council is used to defeat what he described as proper oversight. He described the situation in some municipalities as an “ecosystem that has completely collapsed.”
When asked about the role of Scopa’s oversight powers, Zibi acknowledged that the committee can investigate and recover money, but noted that by the time Parliament steps in, significant damage has often already been done. He said Parliament only has the power to intervene after certain decisions are made, adding that voters themselves must become more discerning.
“The quality of the politician is a deep problem,” Zibi said. “The system can only intervene when a decision is made, and the Auditor-General can only tell us next year. We can’t instruct how people decide – it is inherently a political problem.”
He stressed that residents of municipalities such as OR Tambo and Buffalo City must remain awake and aware, because the public are the ultimate shareholders. Zibi added that some mayors, when asked to rate themselves out of ten, refuse to give low scores despite the glaring failures.
Mangaung and Ekurhuleni have both been under intervention before, and Zibi noted that previous municipal managers in Mangaung have been voted out. The hearings continue as Scopa pushes for further investigations and accountability.