Author

  • Gezani Mazibuko

    • First Choice Achievers Learning Centre NPO (ZA)
    • South Africa

Abstract

Local government in South Africa from Musina to Cape Town have faced strategic financial management challenges of budget shortfalls, financial shambles and distress, leading to unmaintained infrastructure, deteriorating services quality, increasing municipal deprivation and intensifying social exclusion which is the unfortunate history of many municipalities. Municipal effective control leads to design, muster and fiscal wealth may accumulate effective approaches that accomplish its duty to be answerable to its inhabitants. Financial control and stewardship are preceded by the interconnected management facets towards augmenting the growing design, catalytic and hands-on route. Financial control is facilitated by effective reporting and auditing is chiefly paramount for accountability in the local government environment. Weak municipal management accountability and oversight institutions prevailing in local government compromise its integrity and a potential loss to the public’s confidence. Local government is confronted, by municipal fiscal administration morass and forgone fiscal reserves. The efficient budget implementation should conform to the will of the legislature’s authorizations. The financial position of municipalities in terms of the business model represents assets, liabilities and equity and displays the financial health at a specific time. The community and major stakeholders use financial statements to determine the financial position of any organization. The financial position and health determine how efficiently a municipality is expanding its resources and investment. This paper seeks to close the gap that other studies have not ventured to. This paper qualitatively and descriptively explores municipal financial management enigma and proposes a turnaround to get local government finances right.

Keywords

References

  • Bahl, R. W. (2012). Metropolitan City finances in India: Options for a New Fiscal Architecture. International Centre for Public Policy Working Paper 12-33. Georgia State University. Andrew Young School of Policy Studies.
  • Bourne, M. (2005). Six steps to improving your planning and budgeting system. Centre for Business performance, Canfields School of Management, Canfields.
  • Farvacque-Vitkovic, C. & Kopanyi, M. (eds.). (2014). Municipal Finances A Handbook for Local Governments. Washington, D.C.: World Bank.
  • Financial and Fiscal Commission. (2020). Technical Report Division of Revenue 2020/21: Repositioning Local Government Public Finances. Midrand: Finance and Fiscal Commission.
  • Gorina, E., Maher, C. & Park, S. (2019). Toward a Theory of fiscal Slack. Public Budgeting & Finance, Summer 2019. Dallas: Public Financial Publications, Inc.
  • Guo, H. D. & Wang, W. (2017). A special Analysis of Florida County Governments's Unreserved General Fund Balances. Public Budgeting & Finance, 37(3), 71-88.
  • Hashim, A. (2014). A Handbook on Financial Management Information Systems for Government - A Practitioners Guide for Setting Reform Priorities, Systems Design and Implementation (Based on a compilation of experiences in World Bank-financed projects). Washington, D.C.: World Bank.
  • Fjeldstad, O. H. (2004). What's trust got to do with it? Non-payment of service charges in local authorities in South Africa. Journal of Modern African Studies, 42(4), 539-562.
  • Jacobson, W. S. & Sowa, J. E. (2016). Municipal Human Resources management: challenges and Innovative Practices in Turbulent Times. State and Local Government Review, 48(2), 121-131.
  • Kauzya, M. (2003). Local Governance Capacity-Building for Full-Range Participation: Concepts, Frameworks and Experiences in African Countries. Geneva: United Nations.
  • Mazibuko, G. P. (2001). Autonomy and Financial Viability of Local Authorities in the Limpopo Province. A Dissertation submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirement of the degree Masters of Business Administration. Buckinghamshire Chilterns University College. Buckinghamshire Business School in association with the Management College of Southern Africa (MANCOSA). Durban: MANCOSA.
  • Mazibuko, G. P. (2013a). The Impact of the Municipal Billing System on Revenue Collection in selected South African cities. Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree Master of Administration in Public Administration in the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences. University of Pretoria.
  • Mazibuko, G. & Fourie, D. J. (2013b). Municipal Finance: Relevance for Clean Aduit Outocmes. Administration Public, 21(4), 130-152.
  • Mo Ibrahim Foundation. (2018). 2018 Ibrahim Index of African Governance. Index Report.
  • Ryan, C., Robinson, M. & Grigg, T. (2000). Financial Performance Indicators for Local Governments. Accounting, Accountability and Performance, 6(2), 89-106.
  • Shah, A. (ed.). (2006). Public sector governance and accountability series local governance in developing countries. Washington, D.C.: World Bank.
  • Shah, A. (ed.). (2007). Public sector governance and accountability series budgeting and budgetary institutions. Washington, D.C.: The World Bank: The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development/Washington, D.C.
  • Simson, R., Sharma, N. & Aziz, I. (2011). A guide to public financial management literature: For practitioners in developing countries. Overseas Development Institute.
  • Slack, E. (2009). Guide to Municipal Finance. The Human Settlements Financing Tools and Best Practices Series. Nairobi, Kenya: UN HABITAT.
  • South Africa, Republic. (2003). Local Government: Municipal Financial Management Act No 56 of 2003. Pretoria (ZA): Government Printers.
  • South Africa, Republic: Auditor General of South Africa (AGSA) (ZA). (2018). CONSOLIDATED GENERAL REPORT on the local government audit outcomes. MFMA 2016-17. Pretoria (ZA): AGSA.
  • South Africa, Republic: Auditor General of South Africa (AGSA) (ZA). (2019). CONSOLIDATED GENERAL REPORT on the local government audit outcomes. MFMA 2017-18. Pretoria (ZA): AGSA.
  • South Africa, Republic: National Treasury. (2018). The state of local government finances and financial management as of 30 June 2018. Fourth-quarter of the 2017/18 financial year. Pretoria (ZA): National Treasury.
  • Soyiso Maliti and Daily dispatch Reporters (ZA). (14 January 2021). Broke Municipality wants R330m more to cover salary crisis and layoffs.
  • UN-HABITAT (The Human Settlements Financing Tools and Best practices Series). (2009). Guide to Municipal finance. Nairobi: UN-HABITAT.
  • World Economic Forum (WEF). (2018). Insight Report: The Global Competitiveness Report. Geneva: WEF.

Downloads

No downloads have been recorded for this article yet. Figures appear here once readers begin downloading the full text.

How to Cite

Mazibuko, G. (2021). Local Government: Getting the South African Municipal Finances Right. Information Management and Business Review, 12(4(I), 1-11. https://doi.org/10.22610/imbr.v12i4(I).3148

Share this article

Section

Research Paper

Published

2021-03-21

Submissions

Have research to publish? Information Management and Business Review welcomes submissions.

Make a Submission