Butterworth-based Mnquma Local Municipality has made history by becoming the first-ever local municipality, under Amathole District Municipality, to receive a clean audit opinion from the Auditor General South Africa.
The Mnquma municipal council has resolved to open its own probe against councillors and staff members for possible leaks over a petition that alleged misappropriation of funds, corruption and nepotism.
Eastern Cape co-operative governance and traditional affairs (Cogta) MEC Zolile Williams has called on struggling municipalities to sell their debt to private collectors to recoup some of the money owed by consumers.
Mnquma municipality broke new ground when it became the first council in Amathole region’s five local authorities to achieve a clean audit. The rural municipality received a Batho Pele (people first) award from premier Oscar Mabuyane in recognition of the clean audit achieved in the 2020/21 financial year at a glittering ceremony in East London recently.
New Mnquma municipality speaker Monica Qaba says she is ready to hit the ground running. Infrastructure portfolio head Qaba has replaced Zibuthe Mnqwazi, who resigned from council late in 2022 after he was suspended by the ANC’s national disciplinary committee of appeals (NDCA) in September. Mnqwazi was among a group of senior leaders charged with various unrelated transgressions.