by Cllr Carlos Rebelo – DA Merafong Caucus Leader
Date: 5 September 2024
The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Merafong welcomes National Treasury’s findings revealing the Merafong Local Municipality’s non-compliance with the Municipal Cost Containment Regulations (MCCR) regarding a 13-member delegation’s travel to Morocco. This report validates concerns raised by opposition parties in Merafong during council meetings and public forums.
The council’s decision, taken at an urgent meeting on 14 August 2024, allowed a 13-member delegation to travel abroad to assess a solar streetlights manufacturing plant. While the service provider is alleged to cover the travel costs, the municipality committed to bearing the travel and subsistence allowance for all delegates. The council’s decision not only violated the MCCR, which limits international travel to critical events and restricts the number of attendees to those directly involved, but also placed undue financial strain on municipal resources. Despite this, the ruling party pushed the resolution through, relying on Revised Cost Containment Measures and National Treasury Instructions that do not apply to municipalities.
The Merafong Agents of Change (MAOC) wrote to the Treasury, and the DA, through our channels, alerted the Ministry to the serious irregularities in this decision. We are pleased that National Treasury has now confirmed that the municipality’s actions are not aligned with the MCCR, as well as the Municipal Finance Management Act (MFMA).
The DA will be closely monitoring the municipality’s next steps to ensure compliance with the instructions laid out by the Treasury. This includes the municipality providing information on the process followed to appoint the service provider within 14 days. We will also keep a vigilant eye on how the municipality handles this irregular expenditure, as it must be processed according to section 32 of the MFMA and regulation 14 of the MCCR.
Additionally, the DA is deeply concerned about the Speaker’s refusal to allow votes on key council items, including the Morocco visit, despite requests from more than four councillors as required by the Merafong Council Rules and Orders. This disregard for procedural norms undermines democratic processes and accountability.
To address this, the DA is preparing to escalate the matter to the provincial legislature to ensure the Speaker is held accountable for obstructing democratic procedures. We are committed to respecting councillors’ and residents’ rights and will pursue all necessary actions to uphold these standards.
The DA remains dedicated to transparency, financial responsibility, and democratic governance in Merafong. We will continue to monitor both National Treasury’s directives and the council’s procedural issues to ensure accountability.