A Tshwane council meeting convened on Thursday to consider the auditor-general’s (AG) report for the 2024/25 financial year descended into disorder when DA Tshwane mayoral candidate Cilliers Brink was repeatedly interrupted while commenting on the city’s financial performance. The sitting followed the tabling of the AG’s report, which found that the city had received a qualified audit opinion with about R5bn in unauthorised, irregular, fruitless and wasteful expenditure recorded for the year. As Brink made remarks during his given time, he was met with heckling and interjections from other councillors, forcing him to pause several times.
Council speaker Mncedi Ndzwanana called for order as the disruptions continued in the chamber. The numbers show a municipality that is moving in the wrong direction. A qualified audit, combined with rising irregular expenditure, is not a sign of financial recovery.
Brink said the AG’s findings pointed to a worsening financial position for the city. A qualified audit, combined with rising irregular expenditure, is not a sign of financial recovery,” Brink said. The AG flagged weaknesses in internal controls, asset management and consequence management, noting that the city failed to prevent or properly address irregular expenditure.
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The report also highlighted declining revenue collection and increasing pressure on cash flow. Brink said falling revenue collection had placed additional strain on the city’s finances. “Revenue collection has dropped from 93% to 85%, which explains the city’s eagerness to cut services to national and provincial government departments, which it claims are not paying their bills,” he said.
The AG’s report raised concerns about rising losses in basic services. Water losses increased to more than 39% of total water purchased, while electricity losses rose to more than 21%, costing the metro hundreds of millions of rand annually.
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