The Makana Local Municipal Council convened for its scheduled meeting on Tuesday, dominated by severe administrative instability, heightened fiscal scrutiny, and bulk infrastructure challenges. The meeting brought forward a series of heavy items detailing the municipality's efforts to navigate governance breakdowns while managing millions of rands in bad debt and proposed asset write-offs. A primary focus of the meeting centred on the deep turmoil surrounding the municipality's internal oversight structures.
The turmoil follows the resignation of Audit Committee Chairperson Kenneth Mafani, a Certified Fraud Examiner, who cited top management's persistent failure to demonstrate commitment toward addressing urgent governance issues. His exit coincided with the resignation of the Disciplinary Board chairperson, leaving multiple key oversight positions vacant while the Auditor-General's annual audit remains underway. Council received documentation seeking direction on appointing interim audit chairperson Daniel de Lange into the substantive role.
The financial documentation submitted to Council highlighted extensive proposals to write off consumer accounts and remove obsolete assets from the municipal books. Under the municipality's debt-relief incentive scheme, Council was presented with a proposal to write off R958 429.70 in consumer debt for qualifying residents for the quarter ending 30 September 2026. This item sits against the backdrop of the municipality's broader 2026/27 financial plan, which makes an overall provision of R144.3 million for potential debt write-offs over the course of the financial year.
Additionally, the agenda contained recommendations to approve the derecognition and write-off of condemned, obsolete, or privately-owned infrastructure assets, which would reduce the carrying value on the municipal asset register by R2 187 286.66 as a non-cash adjustment. The agenda items follow earlier council records noting over R66 million in unauthorised expenditure incurred in June alone, as well as extensive irregular, fruitless, and wasteful expenditure referred to the Municipal Public Accounts Committee (MPAC).
The recurring write-off proposals and financial adjustments reflect the ongoing balancing act between clearing legacy municipal books and ensuring rigorous consequence management for uncollected debts and unauthorised spending. The fiscal pressure facing Makana was further underscored by official reports detailing National Treasury's decision to temporarily withhold the municipality's July 2026 Equitable Share allocation under Section 216(2) of the Constitution.
Questions surrounding executive compensation and financial priorities also formed part of the broader context of the meeting's documents. Council documentation recalled previous approvals for senior manager salary adjustments and two years of back pay, a cumulative package modification estimated at approximately R4 million. Despite the approval recorded in prior August proceedings, the formal recommendations and underlying minutes of the Remuneration Committee supporting these salary packages were flagged as pending tabling in the public record.
On the operational and engineering front, Council was asked to consider funding applications tied to the Urban Settlement Development Grant (USDG). The proposed funding allocation targets essential bulk infrastructure projects, specifically the upgrade of the Mayfield Wastewater Treatment Works (MWWTW) and its associated outfall sewer pump station to support ongoing housing projects in Mayfield Phase 2 and surrounding settlements. However, these technical proposals come at a time when the post of Director of Technical Services remains vacant, leaving the municipality dependent on acting leadership arrangements.
Key points
- Makana Local Municipal Council addresses governance breakdowns and bad debt through proposed asset write-offs and debt-relief schemes.
- The municipality faces intense regulatory oversight from national fiscal authorities due to unauthorised, irregular, fruitless, and wasteful expenditure.
- Council considers funding applications for bulk infrastructure projects, including the upgrade of the Mayfield Wastewater Treatment Works.
