NDZ warns KZN government to guard against privatising infrastructure

Key players in KwaZulu-Natal’s local government have on Tuesday gathered at the International Convention Centre in Durban for the Local Government Indaba where Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma warned municipalities to guard against auctioning and privatising infrastructure.

This comes as the Auditor-General has painted a grim picture of the state of municipalities with only 16% of the 257 municipalities receiving clean audits.

Delivering the key note address, Minister Dlamini-Zuma says, “Besides local government being the most important sphere, it is also the most affected by everything that happens provincially, nationally and internationally. pic.twitter.com/N9pE3RPxcb

— KZNCOGTA (@kzncogta) July 5, 2022

AG Tsakani Maluleke said only a quarter of municipalities submitted their financial statements on time, lamenting poor and non-existent record keeping and the employment of expensive consultants to make sense of their books.

Delivering the main address, the Dlamini-Zuma said local government should focus on building capacity within the state.

“The AG has been stressing that we spend tens of millions of rands getting consultants even just in one area of financial reports and we have nothing to show for it.”

Other issues expected to top the agenda include post-flood recovery and reconstruction as well as municipal debt for monies owed to Eskom.

-EWN

In other news – Actress Nothando Ngcobo (Hlelo) on men hitting on her, Uzalo role & her goals

Uzalo actress Nothando Ngcobo said her big wish is to land a job as a TV presenter. She said her future ambition makes her ignore the love proposals from men who want to go out with her.

“I’m still young in the industry and have big dreams I don’t want to lose focus that’s why I ignore all the inboxes on social media of men who want to go out with me,” said Nothando. She said her fame, which she gained from playing Hlelo on Uzalo, has attracted attention from men. Learn More