AG flags misuse of scarce skills allowance in Msunduzi

THE Auditor General of South Africa has taken the Msunduzi Local Municipality to task for wasting millions of rand in taxpayers’ money paying scarce skills allowance to employees that did not qualify to receive the funds.

- THAMI MAGUBANE

The municipality has paid close to R6 million in scarce skills allowances to individuals who did not qualify for the allowance. This matter was flagged by the Office of the Auditor General in the latest audit report.

The concerns come as the municipality is under pressure after the Department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs in KwaZulu-Natal announced that it is launching an investigation into the affairs of the municipality.

The Auditor General's report noted that one of the areas identified where the mandate of utilising taxpayers’ money responsibly was not fulfilled was in the payment of scarce skills allowances without the identification of the employees eligible for the allowance.

“The accounting officer has been paying scarce skills allowances to certain employees without any supporting evidence to prove that the employees receiving the allowance are eligible to receive it. There is still no approved policy specifically addressing who is eligible for the scarce skills allowance. The allowance continues to be paid without reapplications by the employees and the approval thereof”.