Irregular spend linked to violent protests sparked by poor service delivery, HRC says
The Human Rights Commission says ‘this expression of anger by our communities can be avoided if state funds are spent in the service of ordinary South Africans’
There is a direct link between billions lost through irregular‚ fruitless and wasteful expenditure at municipalities and violent protests sweeping across in SA. That’s according to the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC)‚ which on Friday voiced "deep concern" about the latest report on the state of local government by the auditor-general‚ Kimi Makwetu. The State of Local Government and Financial Management 2017 report showed that the number of municipalities with clean audits had dropped from 48 in the 2015-16 financial year to 33. "The auditor-general’s report paints a very stark reality‚" the SAHRC said in a statement. "In the view of the commission‚ there is a direct link between billions being lost through irregular‚ fruitless and wasteful expenditure by those tasked with managing the finances of municipalities and the lack of service delivery, which in turn inhibits and infringes on rights of access to socioeconomic rights of many South Africans‚ and has ignited so ma...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.