A handful of KwaZulu-Natal municipalities have been involved in the passage of this year’s budget.
Six municipalities in the province have passed budgets where they indicate that they will spend more money than what they have been allocated.
This was expressed by the Minister of Finance in KwaZulu-Natal, Mr. Francois Rodgers.
Most of the municipalities that are in conflict with each other are facing financial problems.
The municipalities that filled the vacancy are Nkosi Langalibalele, Mpofana, Impendle, Madlangeni, Lundi, and Thukela District Municipality.
In a statement, Rodgers revealed that the Ndumeni Municipality has not yet passed its budget.
Rodgers said that they had not checked the budget in Amajuba District Municipality because it was passed on Monday.
He said that Nkosi Langalibalele Municipality has started its budget from scratch, and he said that they have not had the opportunity to review the new budget.
Rodgers said that they are worried about the conflicts between the municipalities.
“This practice creates instability in the finances of the municipalities and interferes with the delivery of needs. The non-passing of budgets is against the principles governing the management of municipal finances, the MFMA (Municipal Finance Management Act). The coalition government in charge of the province will take appropriate measures to deal with this situation. We are determined to assist municipalities in crisis and we encourage the leaders of the municipalities to approach us.”
Rogders said that what reassures him is that the number of municipalities that have passed budgets equal to the money allocated to them this financial year has increased.
Rodgers said that of the 49 municipalities whose budgets were examined, 43 were found to have followed all the rules.
“This shows that the law is respected in many municipalities in KwaZulu-Natal.”