Leadership and governance expert Prof Mazwe Majola has warned that failing municipalities will not improve without proper consequence management and strong oversight, as findings from the Auditor-General of South Africa and the Special Investigating Unit continue to highlight growing concerns over the handling of public funds.
Speaking in a recent interview, Prof Majola said the Auditor-General’s reports consistently point to weak oversight as the primary driver of poor audit outcomes. He questioned whether coalition dynamics were preventing mayors from reprimanding Members of Mayoral Committees (MMCs) from other parties when financial accountability issues arise.
“It shouldn’t be like that,” Prof Majola said. “If you are wrong, call that person to order. You can’t really tolerate wrong things just because you want to manage the coalition relationship.”
He noted that a single service provider was able to design a scheme to siphon funds from one municipality, then move to another and repeat the same pattern before eventually being arrested. Prof Majola said this demonstrated the general weakness of municipal systems.
The governance expert distinguished between political leadership — mayors and councillors elected to provide oversight — and appointed leaders such as city managers, CFOs, and directors who handle internal controls and compliance. He said the problem arises when councillors lack the ability to read and monitor documents, raising questions about their quality and calibre.
Regarding the Auditor-General’s praise for newfound leadership stability in some metros, Prof Majola said stability at the political level does not automatically solve management problems. He cited Tshwane as an example, noting that many senior leaders have appeared before the Madlanga commission and that acting positions destabilise operations.
“Municipalities will be able to be effective once both these different categories of leadership are sound and they know exactly what is happening,” he said.
Prof Majola attributed the difficulty municipalities face in sustaining audit improvements to a lack of consequence management. “If you work and you know that if there’s any gross negligence or error… nothing will happen to you, then definitely there won’t be any improvement,” he said.
While the Madlanga commission may lead to arrests related to corruption and procurement issues, Prof Majola noted it does not deal with competence. He questioned whether another commission was needed to address competence issues, given that the Auditor-General has complained about the same problems repeatedly.
On coalition governance, Prof Majola said he remains worried because no party is likely to secure an outright majority in the next elections. He said coalitions hamper service delivery as leaders spend excessive time managing coalition dynamics instead of monitoring service delivery.
However, he stressed that professionals — auditors, project managers, and city managers — must also face consequences for non-delivery. “If you’re professional, you’ve been appointed to deliver. If you don’t deliver, you’ve got to face the consequences,” he said.
Prof Majola noted that the City of Cape Town, while not perfect, has performed better than other municipalities across the country.