Cape Town mayor Dan Plato lashes out at ANC at first City meeting

Mayor Dan Plato lost his cool at the first council meeting for the new year, shouting “Shut up” to the ANC member who raised questions about the City of Cape Town’s financial standing. Picture: Jack Lestrade

Mayor Dan Plato lost his cool at the first council meeting for the new year, shouting “Shut up” to the ANC member who raised questions about the City of Cape Town’s financial standing. Picture: Jack Lestrade

Published Jan 29, 2020

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Cape Town - Mayor Dan Plato lost his cool at the first council meeting for the new year, shouting “Shut up” to the ANC member who raised questions about the City of Cape Town’s financial standing. 

Plato said that although the City received a good bill of health from the Auditor General (AG) for the 2018/19 financial year, the AG raised concerns of fruitless and wasteful expenditure. 

“I have engaged extensively with the Auditor-General in this regard and in addition, the administration. My expectation from the administration is that we should never record irregular, and wasteful and fruitless expenditure and that we must comply with our legislation. I am more than comfortable that the administration will develop an action plan that will help us achieve this expectation,” he said. 

Plato added that the matter will be referred to the Municipal Public Accounts Committee (MPAC) to be investigated for recoverability.

“Our MPAC is an oversight committee we have relied upon to undertake an oversight function and they have religiously done so in the past. They will report back to us on their findings,” he said.

For the 2018/19 financial year, the City received an unqualified audit opinion with findings from the Auditor-General. This is the City’s 16th consecutive unqualified audit opinion.

The findings relate largely to the AG determining that certain procurement and contract management processes were not properly complied with in terms of the Municipal Finance Management Act.  

Findings of irregular expenditure related mainly to contracts and quotations awarded to bidders based on functionality criteria that were not stipulated in the original invitation for bidding and quotations; the extension or modification of contracts without the approval of a properly delegated official; failure to monitor the performance of certain contract providers on a monthly basis; failure to stipulate the minimum threshold for local production and content in the procurement of certain commodities; and failure of certain persons in service of the City to declare the private or business interests of close family members in contracts awarded by the City. Plato said the 2018/19 audit report was received by the City administration on on Tuesday. 

ANC Caucus leader Xolani Sotashe poked holes into Plato’s claims that he would investigate the matter. “It's a cover-up. As we continue with the debate you can see the lies are being exposed. This is deliberate. We received this report late last night.” 

A clearly agitated Plato said: “In my speech I said that I noted the AG concerns of irregular expenditure I said that in my speech. And then I said…Shut up…listen to what I have to say.  They (the ANC) are deliberately doing this. They are interrupting me.” 

Cape Argus

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