Municipal management is concerned about documents that are missing from the municipality’s registry department.
Following the allegations that surfaced during a mayoral committee meeting held in August, the committee has resolved to prioritise document management as one of the five areas of focus for internal auditors.
Municipal management is concerned about documents that are missing from the municipality’s registry department.
Following the allegations that surfaced during a mayoral committee meeting held in August, the committee has resolved to prioritise document management as one of the five areas of focus for internal auditors.
Registry Clerk Landezwa Mantla has denied the allegations, and has written two letters to Municipal Manager Ntombi Baart alleging that “council is taking resolutions that are based on hearsay or unfounded information.” In response, Baart has requested that Mantla reserve her comments or evidence for the internal auditors.
Following the allegations in August, the committee had resolved to submit a report regarding the missing documents to its next meeting. According to the minutes of the following meeting, which was held in September, no reports were submitted.
When contacted by <itals>Grocott’s Mail<end itals> Mantla refused to divulge any information on the topic, saying that it is an "internal matter. I can’t comment to newspapers because doing so will expose me to a disciplinary hearing, but I don’t know of any records that are missing from the registry," she added. She referred further enquiries to Makana spokesperson Thandy Matebese.
While Matebese confirmed the matter, he did not get back to Grocott’s Mail with the latest update on the matter as he promised earlier.
The municipality’s record management was found wanting in assessment by the Auditor-General on its performance for the 2007/2008 financial year. The Auditor-General’s office classified the state of the municipal records as being "in disarray such that a proper audit assessment could not be undertaken".
Other priorities for the municipality’s audit plan for the 2009/2010 financial year include contract administration and management; civil claims against the municipality including other litigation matters and paid legal fees; credibility of the recruitment and selection process and; validation of performance reports/reviews.
