The Treasury has taken action against 35 municipalities, including those in Free State, KwaZulu-Natal, and North West, for having unfunded budgets and owing billions to state entities. This move aims to address financial mismanagement and ensure accountability among local governments.

Auditor-general Tsakani Maluleke has expressed concern over 'regressions' in the audit outcomes of South Africa's eight metropolitan municipalities, highlighting issues related to weak financial discipline and failures in service delivery. These findings indicate a decline in the management and accountability of public resources within these urban areas.

The Auditor-General has reported that the financial situation in Johannesburg requires immediate attention, noting a general regression in audit outcomes among metropolitan areas.

According to The Citizen, Auditor-General Maluleke has raised concerns over the financial audits of all metropolitan municipalities, highlighting R62.12 billion in debt write-offs and R1.61 billion spent on consultants. Despite these expenditures, 61% of the municipalities submitted flawed financial statements, prompting alarm ahead of the upcoming elections.

According to Sowetan, South Africa's major cities are struggling with financial management, as highlighted by auditor-general Tsakani Maluleke. She warns that deteriorating governance, failing service delivery, and significant losses due to irregular expenditure pose a threat to the country's sustainability.

The Auditor-General has released a report indicating poor financial management in municipalities, marking the first issuance of a certificate of debt to recover financial losses from a municipal accounting officer. Additionally, 76 municipal officials have been referred for investigation due to these financial discrepancies, highlighting ongoing issues in municipal governance, according to Moneyweb.