The MEC for finance, Elsabe Rockman, has noted that municipalities are not making enough progresstowards achieving national government’s target of attaining clean audits by 2014,and promised that the provincial government has a plan to tackle this challenge.

Rockman said thisduring arecent visit to the Maluti-a-Phofung municipality.

“Our approach is to engage directly with the mayors and political leaders. The engagement has already taken place between the provincial treasury and Cogta. But political leaders were not fully involved. They play an oversight role. We have decided to bring mayors and political leaders on boardto ensure that they take part in improving financial management. We cannot separate financial management from service delivery.

“I have already met with mayorsin the province and given them tasks to attend to in order to improve audit outcomes in municipalities. But things will be different on our second visit at the end of November as we will be assessing the progress they will have made,” said Rockman.

The MEC said some of the municipalities were making progress while therewere also a number of municipalities which seemed to be stuck in the challenges of the past three years.

She cited Metsimaholo Local Municipalityas one of municipalities that are showing signs of improving its financial management, adding that it is a perfect example for others to learn from.

Setsoto Local Municipality was also praised for being the only municipality in Free State which does not owe Eskom. Ngwathe and Maluti-a-Phofung local municipalities are the worst debtors of Eskom.

Rockman singled out unemployment as one of the major factors that contribute to Maluti-a-Phofung’s poor performance, as the municipality is burdened by the high rate of residents who cannot pay their rates and taxes.

“Some of the officials in this municipality are registered as indigent. While we understand that they may have registered before being employed. Following their employment,they could have been spotted and deregistered if the municipality had a proper monitoring system in place.”

Rockman said a task team made up of ward councillors,the provincial treasury and Cogta has been put in place to investigate unauthorised, irregular, fruitless and wasteful expenditure in the municipality.