Question NW524 to the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs
13 September 2024 - NW524
Van Zyl, Ms A M to ask the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs
What (a) is the total number of municipalities that adopted unfunded budgets in the in the 2024-25 financial year, (b) are the names of the specified municipalities and (c) measures has his department taken to ensure compliance by each listed municipality?
Reply:
The Municipal Finance Management Act (MFMA), which is overseen by the Minister of Finance with assistance from the National Treasury, is directly affected by the honorable member's inquiry. In accordance with the MFMA, municipalities submit their budgets directly to the National Treasury, which decides whether or not to support them. As a result, the Minister of Finance may answer to the question of the Honourable Member. There has in the past been some parliamentary questions having a direct bearing on the functional mandate of the National Treasury which have been referred to the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs. There is now an agreement between officials of the two departments that in such instances Parliament must re-route the question to the Minister of Finance for a direct response to ensure proper accountability of the response.
End.