logo
MEC Rodgers to implement Cash Management System (CMS) for municipal financial stability

MEC Rodgers to implement Cash Management System (CMS) for municipal financial stability

IOL News02-06-2025
KwaZulu-Natal Finance MEC Francois Rodgers.
Image: KZN Treasury Facebook
FINANCE MEC Francois Rodgers is o a campaign to ensure that municipalities in the province are financially stable and capable of delivering services to their communities.
The Department pff Finance announced on Monday that starting in June until December 2025, MEC Rodgers will lead the implementation of a Cash Management System (CMS) at seven municipalities in KZN.
One of the municipalities set to benefit from this initiative is the Impendle Local Municipality. It was revealed recently that the municipality failed to pay wages and benefits in full and on time. This situation has raised alarm among employees, who are concerned about the impact on their livelihoods and the municipality's ability to manage its financial obligations effectively.
The CMS aims to resolve a myriad of financial management challenges at the local government level, including: Implementation of debt collection and credit control policies.
Overspending.
Management and utilisation of conditional grants.
Ultimately, the department said, CMS aims to improve service delivery, ensure timely payments to service providers, and reduce budget deficits at the local government level, among other initiatives.
Video Player is loading.
Play Video
Play
Unmute
Current Time
0:00
/
Duration
-:-
Loaded :
0%
Stream Type LIVE
Seek to live, currently behind live
LIVE
Remaining Time
-
0:00
This is a modal window.
Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window.
Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan
Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan
Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan
Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque
Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps
Reset
restore all settings to the default values Done
Close Modal Dialog
End of dialog window.
Advertisement
Next
Stay
Close ✕
It said this week, MEC Rodgers will convene a high-level gathering involving Mayors, Municipal Managers, Chief Financial Officers, and Project Champions. The targeted municipalities for the implementation of the CMS are: Ugu District.
Richmond.
uMngeni.
Nkandla.
iMpendle.
uMfolozi.
Ulundi.
KZN Treasury is constitutionally mandated to monitor as well as support the financial functions at municipalities. The seven municipalities were identified as potential beneficiaries for the CMS after assessments by the KZN Treasury.The system may be extended to other municipalities based on assessments.
MEC Rodgers stated: 'KZN Treasury is empowered by section 5 of the Municipal Finance Management Act (MFMA) to perform oversight, monitor the financial functions, as well as to provide technical support and guidance to assist municipalities by instilling effective financial management practices.'
'The team at KZN Treasury and I are determined to act in accordance with our constitutional obligations so that we may succeed in the mission to establish an ethical and capable state. Municipalities are the closest sphere of government to communities. KZN Treasury is determined to empower and create capacity at municipalities as part of its mandate,' he added.
THE MERCURY
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

KDM cancels R350k Durban July Ballito Experience sponsorship
KDM cancels R350k Durban July Ballito Experience sponsorship

The Citizen

time2 days ago

  • The Citizen

KDM cancels R350k Durban July Ballito Experience sponsorship

The KwaDukuza municipality (KDM) has officially withdrawn its R350 000 Durban July Ballito Experience sponsorship following political pressure and public scrutiny. The decision was made during a special council meeting held on Wednesday, July 2, just days before the first event on Friday, July 4. The sponsorship, intended to support the Durban July Ballito Experience, hosted by Enterprise iLembe, sparked widespread criticism after it was revealed that two of the three event days (July 4–6) would be held in eThekwini, outside KDM's jurisdiction. The event had already received R5-million in funding from the national Department of Sports, Arts and Culture, raising questions about the necessity and appropriateness of additional municipal support. Following deliberations, council decided the sponsorship would not be in line with the Municipal Finance Management Act and rescinded the funds. The Durban July Ballito Experience begins with a golf day at Umhlali Country Club for government officials and investors on July 4, ending with a cultural fashion, food and music event at Beach Bums in Westbrook on July 6. On Saturday, the business and tourism agency are also hosting a swish VIP Durban July event at Greyville Racecourse. Speaking at the event launch at the Sangweni Tourist Information Centre in Ballito on June 3, Enterprise iLembe CEO, Siyabonga Mazibuko said the event was expected to create up to 500 local jobs, although it was not confirmed whether these would be full-time or contract positions. Enterprise iLembe and KDM were met with criticism from the Democratic Alliance (DA) in KwaDukuza, who along with The MK Party, did not support the sponsorship. DA caucus leader Privi Makhan accused the KwaDukuza Council's leadership of misusing public funds to benefit politically connected individuals under the pretext of economic development. Makhan called it a victory for residents and ratepayers. She also accused the ANC-led council of attempting to 'steamroll' the payment through despite clear opposition. 'Their plan to bankroll an event outside our jurisdiction was a clear betrayal of responsible governance for an event being held outside KDM,' said Makhan. 'Our residents deserve leaders who put their needs first, not those leaders who are merely political side-shows, attempting to pay off their debt through council coffers.' Enterprise iLembe and KDM officials were unavailable for comment at the time of publication. Stay in the loop with The North Coast Courier on Facebook, X, Instagram & YouTube for the latest news. Mobile users can join our WhatsApp Broadcast Service here or if you're on desktop, scan the QR code below. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!

'Millions wasted': Lesseyton sports field not built to spec, says public protector
'Millions wasted': Lesseyton sports field not built to spec, says public protector

TimesLIVE

time18-06-2025

  • TimesLIVE

'Millions wasted': Lesseyton sports field not built to spec, says public protector

There were procurement irregularities in the awarding of a R22.7m tender to Thalami Civils JV for the construction of the Lesseyton sports field by the Enoch Mgijima local municipality. Public protector Kholeka Gcaleka released the report on the findings of the investigation into allegations of improper conduct and maladministration by functionaries of the municipality relating to the construction of Lesseyton sports field in 2018. The Lesseyton sports field gained national notoriety in October 2021 after its unveiling was posted on social media and users immediately began questioning whether its R15m price tag constituted value for money. According to the specification dated March 9 2018, the construction was supposed to include the construction of a grassed athletic track, soccer/rugby field, netball, tennis and volleyball courts and grandstands. However, these facilities have not been constructed. Investigations found that the soccer/rugby field was not constructed according to the specifications and the electricity has not been connected. In the investigation, Gcaleka observed that the ward councillor signed the completion certificates and accepted the construction of the sports field as satisfactory, despite the municipality not receiving any value for money. According to the findings, the total amount of the awarded bid exceeded the budgeted amount of R18.7m that was approved by the department of co-operative governance and traditional affairs (Cogta) in the 2017/18 financial year. The awarded tender exceeded the budgeted amount by more than R4.7m without evidence that the municipality sought additional funding or approval from the municipal council, as required under the Municipal Finance Management Act. Further, the report found that the tender advertisement had two different closing dates and was not placed on three different publicly accessible platforms as required by the municipal supply chain management policy. The advertisement period for the tender was shortened from 30 days to 14 days, and the reason provided was that the construction of the sports field was an emergency. Gcaleka found that the municipality's definition of emergency in this regard was not in line with the definition in terms of the municipal supply chain management policy. The evidence suggests that two bid evaluation processes took place with the first process resulting in the first bidder being the preferred bidder, whereas the second process used a different formula provided by the bid adjudication committee and culminated in Thalami Civils, which was the fourth-highest scoring bidder, winning the tender. She also found that the allegations of irregularities in the management of the contract and a lack of proper oversight on the construction project by the local and provincial governments, resulting in no value for money paid, were substantiated. The public protector observed that the ward councillor signed the completion certificates and accepted the construction of the sports field as satisfactory when the municipality did not get any value for money as evident in this investigation. Gcaleka recommended that the municipal manager of the municipality ensure the reconstruction of the Lesseyton Sports Field in accordance with the bid specifications dated March 9 2018.

How KwaZulu-Natal's new electronic procurement system will ensure timely payments and combat corruption
How KwaZulu-Natal's new electronic procurement system will ensure timely payments and combat corruption

IOL News

time18-06-2025

  • IOL News

How KwaZulu-Natal's new electronic procurement system will ensure timely payments and combat corruption

KwaZulu-Natal Finance MEC Francois Rodgers believed that the province's new e-Procurement system would be a game changer when it comes to the quick payment of service providers, ensuring that government departments do not procure without having money. Image: KZN Treasury Facebook With the introduction of the new Electronic Procurement System (e-Procurement) in the KwaZulu-Natal government, service providers will be paid without delays, while corruption gaps will be sealed. This was revealed when the KZN Finance Department's information technology specialist, Bongani Shezi, explained the system at a media briefing in Pietermaritzburg on Tuesday. The National Treasury, which approved and adopted the system from the national Department of Forestry, Fisheries, and the Environment (DFFE), will not pay for using it, but will only spend between R3 million and R5 million for set-up costs. The system would be fully implemented in the province between January 2026 and April 2027 through selected departments. Currently, KwaZulu-Natal will be the only province in the country to use it. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ In terms of operations, the system would kick in soon after a line manager identified the items needed by his or her team and got budget approval from the head of the department. The supply chain manager would then log into the system, which would automatically go to the central supplier database, which provides a list of companies that supply the required items. The system would ask the budget controller how much was available for the purchase, and it would do the quotation based on the available budget. 'The system would look at the commodity and select the suppliers, and if you want the item to be delivered in Mtubatuba (KwaZulu-Natal north coast), then it would pick suppliers around Mtubatuba,' said Shezi. He said the departments will use the system to appoint the bid evaluation committee members. 'When the documents are being evaluated, each one of them (members) would have to come into the system and do the scoring on the system, and based on the scoring, the system would then make a recommendation,' said Shezi. He said once the quotations come in, they get processed, and then the contract gets awarded automatically. 'The system would do your price because that's what comes in from quotation, depending on the service provider in terms of whether they are QSE (Qualifying Small Enterprise), rural, or township-based. 'It would then recommend the service provider, but if officials override the service provider and the system would ask, 'Why are you overriding this service provider that was recommended by the system?'' he said. Shezi said the signed contract with the start and end dates and contract amount, which would be compiled by the legal services, would be uploaded into the system. 'The end date is what the system uses to send emails to the supply chain managers to remind them that this contract is going to come to an end.' He said once the purchased items are delivered, the service provider submits an invoice, which will be captured by the system to track its movement from one person to another. He said the invoice would then go through the system to the responsible manager, who will authorise the payment. It would also go to the internal control manager, who must also check if the supporting documents are there, and then it goes to the supply chain manager, who would confirm that everything is captured correctly. Its last stop would be the finance for the release of the money to pay the service provider through the system. Shezi said someone would monitor the movement of the invoice because the government needed the invoices to be captured faster, since the system would also be used for payments. He said the provincial Treasury was looking at enhancing the system's network connectivity at all provincial offices, especially in rural areas. 'If a supplier does not have connectivity, the supplier will be able to go to a government office because the connectivity is going to be there in terms of uploading documents and checking what bids are available for quotations,' said Shezi.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store