GARDEN ROUTE NEWS - A total of R6,5-million was spent on consultants for services rendered to the Eden District Municipality during the 2016/2017 financial year.

This was highlighted in an oversight report to council by the Municipal Public Accounts Committee (MPAC) last week. ANC Councillor Piet van der Hoven asked that Council take note of the reservations in the report. 

"There must be an action plan," he said. "This happened in the previous financial year as well."

Other concerns stated in the report include irregular expenditure to the amount of R31,7-million, ongoing disputes regarding land ownership between Eden DM and B municipalities; theft of municipal assets and old and insufficient equipment in the fire department.

PBI Councillor Virgill Gericke said the auditor general has made a finding, "... and his finding was that the Eden District Municipality should not be rewarded a clean audit. There are other serious issues that need to be addressed. If you look at the cost of consultants - R6,5-million is an exorbitant amount. We need to capacitate our own officials, to raise the bar. We know our consultants can drag out work in order to cash in. It is a lot of money, and the municipality is not so wealthy."

Municipal Manager Monde Stratu said there is an action plan that has been sent to all the relevant departments and the auditor general. "Officially there is no dispute with B municipalities (concerning landownership). We are in a process addressing these matters."

Mayor Memory Booysen said before the auditor general makes his final recommendations, he puts issues that are concerns into a management letter, and still gives you a clean audit. He congratulated all the councillors involved in the section 32 committees. 

Mayor Memory Booysen.

"It is a hell of a task," he said. "I don't like this 'buck', because it's not nice, but unfortunately it does stop with me. You guys keep up the good work. But, as councillors, we also need to learn the implications of sending the wrong recommendations to provincial treasury."

He gave his confirmation that the municipality is on top of the issue of land.

Gericke submitted an urgent motion regarding the condition of the roads in Hoekwil and the road in Groeneweide Park, saying he is inundated with mail from citizens of those areas.

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