Mbabane – Mbabane Municipal Council has come under scrutiny over governance, financial reporting and ethical conduct, with resident Walter Banert warning that alleged manipulation of municipal financial information could undermine the integrity of the institution.
Bennett raised the concerns during the Mbabane Municipal Council Annual Report 2026 meeting, where he questioned the accuracy and completeness of the municipality’s financial statements, the availability of previous meeting minutes, legal expenditure, rates, market fees and the criteria used to prioritise municipal projects.
“Why should I come to the annual meeting and still interrogate the basic narration of the account, which is the basics of bookkeeping?” he asked.
He questioned why residents received the annual report only four days before the meeting, instead of the 14 days he said should be provided before the meeting.
Bennett alleged that the short period made it difficult for residents to properly study the report and prepare questions, and questioned whether this was deliberate.
He also questioned the absence of minutes from previous meetings, saying residents were unable to establish whether concerns raised previously had been addressed.
Bennett said the lack of previous minutes raised questions about accountability and transparency because residents were being asked to scrutinise the current report without having access to records showing how earlier concerns had been handled.
He further questioned who paid a E289,009 legal bill relating to legal battles involving Chief Executive Officer Gciniwe Fakudze when she was entering office.
Bennett recalled that the Attorney General’s Office had advised that the legal costs should be paid by municipal councillors, but alleged that the amount was eventually paid by the municipality using ratepayers’ money.
He called for clarity on who authorised the payment and why the municipality ultimately carried the cost.
Bennett also questioned how much the municipality receives from gambling company Ebet and how the money is used.
Fakudze responded that Ebert gives the municipality E60,000, which is used to buy food for the municipality’s nine soup kitchens.
Bennett also raised concern about the presentation of financial information, particularly operating and personnel costs.
He warned against what he described as manipulation of reporting and said such conduct would damage the integrity of the municipality.
“Manipulation is fraud, punishable by law,” Bennett said.
He questioned why the balance sheet for the financial year was, in his view, only half a page and did not show travelling and entertainment costs despite municipal officials travelling.
Bennett said financial statements should provide residents with sufficient information to understand how municipal funds were being spent.
He also questioned the municipality’s reporting on rates, saying the report stated that rates had increased by 5.8 per cent but did not sufficiently explain the impact of inflation.
He questioned the increase in market fees, which he said had risen by more than 70 per cent, arguing that the increase left vendors with little income to survive.
Bennett further questioned the valuation and classification of government properties, saying government properties were now being classified as commercial.
He called for clarity on the municipality’s valuation approach and its engagement with government.
He recalled a previous instance where government was expected to pay E16.6 million in rates but reportedly paid E18 million, questioning whether the difference had been returned to government.
Bennett urged the mayor and council to hold discussions with government on such matters, saying the absence of government representatives from meetings could contribute to mistakes and misunderstandings.
He also questioned the failure to review the Urban Government Act and Building Act.
Bennett asked how much cement cost when the Building Act was stopped and how much it costs now, arguing that economic conditions had changed significantly.
He accused the municipality of using different explanations for rate increases, saying that this year the increases were attributed to tariffs rather than inflation as in previous years.
Road rehabilitation was another area he questioned.
Bennett wanted to know what criteria the municipality uses to determine which roads should be rehabilitated.
He cited roads leading to the residences of high-profile individuals, including Prime Minister Russell Mmiso Dlamini at Hospital Hill, former Prime Minister Dr Absalom Themba Dlamini and the South African High Commissioner.
He questioned whether such roads were receiving priority because of the status of the people living along them.
In response, Fakudze said the rehabilitation of one kilometre of road costs approximately E3 million.
Bennett also questioned the municipality’s accountability for municipal assets, referring to a lugetane worn by the mayor.
He recalled that the item had previously been stolen, later found in Cape Town and brought back, saying the municipality needed to account properly for such matters.
He linked this to ethical conduct and governance, referring to the Minister of Housing and Urban Development’s call to guide national integrity through ethical conduct.
Bennet said good governance should also be reflected in how the municipality deals with residents and vulnerable groups.
He thanked the municipality for compensating a woman whose house had been affected by a fallen tree.
He also commended the municipality for taking care of vulnerable people in the city, including people with mental disabilities, after Deputy Prime Minister Senator Thulisile Dladla called on municipal councils across the country to take responsibility for such residents.
However, Bennett criticised the municipality for presenting itself as providing good social welfare while, in his view, failing to adequately care for vulnerable residents until the matter was raised by the Deputy Prime Minister.
He urged the municipality to place greater emphasis on the welfare of less privileged residents, including people working in backyards and street vendors operating around the bus rank.
Bennett said street vendors lacked proper shelter and sanitation facilities, describing it as heartbreaking to see them exposed to rain and cold and using plastic bags to protect themselves.
He called for proper shelters around the bus rank and the rehabilitation or construction of bus shelters along Mbabane’s main roads where necessary.
He also questioned the large pavements constructed along some roads, saying they appeared to make the roads narrower.
Bennett asked how the pavements had been planned and why similar developments appeared on both sides of some roads.
He said the municipality should seek funding from banks and other partners if it did not have sufficient funds to improve conditions for vendors.
“Just to make the lives of the street vendors a little easier, is it too much to ask?” he asked.
Bennett said Mbabane’s Smart City ambition should be demonstrated through actual service delivery rather than simply being used as a description.
“Smart City must show by actions, not by word of mouth only,” he said.
He added: “Akabonakale lo Smart City. Smart is not a name of a person but it is how we do things.”
Bennett also argued that residents should be consulted on major municipal decisions rather than simply being presented with decisions that had already been made.
“Lokushitja the presentation Mayor, you need also the consultation of the residents,” he said.
He said financial figures alone did not tell residents enough about municipal performance and questioned the level of detail provided in the annual report.
Bennett’s concerns ultimately centred on governance, accountability and ethical conduct, saying residents should not have to struggle to obtain basic explanations about municipal finances and decisions.
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