1. HON. Members, the operating expenditure with the unaudited spending of R52.5b shows (R3.1b under-spending) which is negligible compared to R3.2b under-expenditure in the 2015/2016 financial year, but the initiation of support programmes have not addressed the under-spending of budgets of 35 municipalities.
2. These figures are concerning as it suggests poor management on the part of the accounting officers and to poor planning in general by municipalities, due in part, to incompetence on the part of municipal managers in terms of the core competencies under the MFMA.
3. HON. Members, with Treasury assisting municipalities in so many ways, underspending trend continues. What type of intervention is now required? The HON. MEC should have a way forward. We require somebody to be allocated the task of walking files and ensuring following guidelines, using a tick-box method.
4. The increase of municipal debt to R16.2b at the end of the 4^th quarter from R13.5b during the preceding year spells a financial disaster management exercise of its own.
5. HON. Members, partly the cause of such high debts is attributed to flawed billing systems. We must guard against a revolt from ratepayers.
6. If debts are high then it would be true that indigent funding is positively correlated. We need a report on this in the Consolidated Statement.
7. With these concerns, the Minority Front supports this 4^th Quarter Consolidated Statement of Municipalities budget.

Thank you.

Shameen Thakur-Rajbansi

Minority Front Leader (KZN Legislature)