Browsing by Author "Suka, Siyabonga"

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    Effectiveness of municipal public accounts committees in fiscal oversight: a case study of Sakhisizwe Municipality
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2021-12) Suka, Siyabonga; Ajam, Tania; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences. School of Public Leadership.
    ENGLISH SUMMARY : In the local government sphere, the committee that plays the oversight role such as the PAC in the National Assembly and the Provincial Legislature is the Municipal Public Accounts Committee (MPAC). The MPAC was established in terms of section 79 of the Municipal Structures Act of 1998. The National Treasury and Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) jointly developed guidelines establishing the MPACs in municipalities. Burger argues that “only the legislature has the authority to demand accountability from the executive authority” (2014:77). When the Municipal Public Accounts Committees were introduced in municipalities it was a new phenomenon. Sakhisizwe Municipality is not different from other municipalities concerning how the introduction of Municipal Public Accounts Committees affected other municipalities. The introduction of this committee strengthens the oversight responsibility of the municipal Council over the executive and administration for them to be fully accountable for their actions in handling the public finances. The MPAC only invites the management to attend the meetings of the MPAC leaving out the Executive Committee. The municipality is not making available the oversight report on Annual Report for the public to have access to it, by placing it on the municipal website and the public libraries. MPAC has no dedicated personnel to support the secretariat and research function. No training that was provided by the municipality to the MPAC members other than the one that was provided by SALGA. For municipalities to strengthen the effectiveness of the MPAC they should consider appointing the chairperson from the ranks of the minority parties; this practice will ensure accountability and bias will be reduced. District forums and study groups by SALGA must be established in order to share the good practices amongst the municipalities.