ActionSA has called on North West Premier Bushy Maape and his government to devise a comprehensive rescue plan that prevents the province’s municipalities from collapsing.

This follows the Auditor General’s (AG’s) report to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Auditor General that no municipalities in the province received clean audits.

The report cited a decrease in accountability and poor financial management practices within these municipalities.

ActionSA has criticised the governance of these ANC-led municipalities by suggesting that they are unable to use taxpayer money responsibly.

“It is unacceptable that 20 municipalities spent R126.95-million on consultants who have proven to be ineffective as their work was not adequately reviewed and there is no record and documentation to prove that they delivered on the work they were paid to do,” said ActionSA North West chairperson Kwena Mangope.

The party wants Local Government MEC Nono Maloyi to use the R659.2-million budgeted for the 2023/24 financial year, which he announced last week, to address the poor financial management practices, failing infrastructure, neglected wastewater treatment plants and poor waste disposal management at these municipalities.

The MEC is also urged to guarantee that qualified people are hired to senior management positions at all municipalities.

“The people of the North West deserve a strong and corruption-free government that will be an alternative to the failed ANC governance,” Mangope said.