When the DA and Mayor Chris Pappas took office in uMngeni in 2021, the municipality carried an irregular expenditure opening balance of over R31 million. Through sustained oversight and rigorous investigation, that figure has been reduced by an unprecedented 95%.
This reflects prudent governance under Mayor Pappas and thorough oversight by Council.
The DA inherited a municipality that was non-functional. Records across the municipality were in a state of serious disarray, documents stored on floors, storage facilities with broken doors, no document management policy, and critical information lost or destroyed.
Five years later, we are proud to report that uMngeni winds down this term having delivered services, having improved infrastructure and having implemented measurable accountability.
Accountability was ensured by a thorough Municipal Public Accounts Committee. The DA does not flinch from exerting transparency and accountability, over our own governments.
We checked every rand. Where controls needed improving, management was directed to fix them and they did. This along with a risk register, and a records management system, made governance better and more transparent.
The Internal Audit team at uMngeni Municipality has been professional, thorough, and displayed absolute integrity, ensuring that the DA government maintains the highest standards.
The residents of uMngeni deserve a municipality that continues to deliver, and that means tight financial controls continue into the next term.
When we went to the polls in 2021, the DA made promises to the voters of uMngeni that should the DA be elected to government the municipality would show residents the DA difference.
To ensure that this progress is not reversed; residents are called upon to vote for a DA government for another 5 years, on 4 November, in this year’s Local Government Election.