Johannesburg writes off R45.16bn wasteful expenditure

Mayor flags accountability concerns over declining recoveries

- LOYISO SIDIMBA

OVER the previous five years, the City of Johannesburg and its municipal entities have written off R45.16 billion in unauthorised, irregular, fruitless, and wasteful (UIFW) spending.

The municipality disclosed this during Tuesday's joint meeting with the Portfolio Committee on Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs and the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Public Accounts (Scopa).

Figures presented in Parliament show that R24.46bn in UIFW expenditure was regularised or written off in 2024/25, R11.48bn in 2023/24, and another R5.74bn in 2022/23.

The municipality informed the committees that the peak balance of UIFW expenditure was R23.6bn in the 2023/24 financial year and that R13.3bn was the post-audit balance at the end of June last year, which is a reduction of almost 44%.

According to the City, the financial year 2024/25 balance shows a significant reduction in unauthorised and fruitless or wasteful expenditure, while irregular expenditure requires sustained supply chain management and contract management controls.

In the current 2025/26 financial year, the City of Joburg had a UIFW expenditure opening balance of R13.3bn and in-year declarations of R3.63bn in the period up to the end of March this year.