Pretoria - KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Nomusa Dube-Ncube, has backed national government’s call to dismiss municipal Chief Financial officers (CFOs) who lack qualifications, experience or commitment to perform their duties.
“There is no room for unqualified or inexperienced CFOs in our local government and this is a non-negotiable position.
“We also feel strongly that even those CFOs who possess the required qualifications and experience but are failing to perform and ensure sound financial management and viability in KZN municipalities must go,” she said.
The MEC said while they do their best to ensure that all qualification and experience requirements are met when candidates are recruited, most of the monthly reporting by municipalities -- in terms of the Municipal Finance Management Act (MFMA) -- remained inaccurate and unreliable.
She said some CFOs used consultants to prepare financial statements, something the CFOs ought to be doing themselves.
She said the fact that 77% of KZN municipalities required material adjustments to their financial statements in the last 2012/13 audit outcomes was an indicator that some CFOs were not performing effectively or managing the municipal budgets.
“As a result of such incompetence, council decisions are often based on dubious financial information.
“Presentation of such incorrect financial information by CFOs and Accounting Officers to councils is tantamount to financial misconduct. Cogta has instructed Mayors to take disciplinary action against ill-disciplined officials,” said MEC Dube-Ncube. - SAnews.gov.za
