Johannesburg - The Mayor of the City of Johannesburg, Mpho Phalatse, has announced the recantation of a disciplinary body that will ensure that ratepayers can hold administrators and government leaders accountable for the finances of the city.
During a Council Meeting on May 27, 2022, the house adopted a Mayoral Committee report to rename and reconstitute the Disciplinary Board as the Financial Misconduct Board (FMB). This was a significant step in the ongoing fight against corruption and the theft of city resources.
In a further step towards getting this important body working to root out the theft of city resources by city and entity officials working for self-gain.
Following a period of public advertisement that ended on August 18, 2022, the process of shortlisting independent candidates to serve on the FMB was completed on Monday evening.
“The FMB delegated certain powers to the Executive Mayor, the Mayoral Committee, and the City Manager in order to improve the implementation and functionality of the Board. Furthermore, in order to ensure its independence, at least three of the five members of the FMB will be external appointments,” Phalatse said.
Phalatse said the FMB will assist Council and the City with the investigation of allegations of financial misconduct and investigate allegations of financial misconduct in the municipality and/or entities upon receipt of instruction from Council or the City Manager.
“Prepare and submit reports to the Council, the Mayoral Committee, and the City Manager as appropriate for each case and provide recommendations on further steps to be taken regarding disciplinary proceedings or any other relevant steps to be taken," Phalatse said.
Phalatse said the Joburg multiparty government is eager to induct the FMB and get it working so that matters relating to the misuse and abuse of residents’ money are thoroughly investigated and acted upon.
“This is certainly a significant step towards rooting out corruption in the city,” she said.
The Star