Makana councillors expressed mixed feelings when council approved a draft financial policy to regulate the use of municipal credit cards by Mayor Vumile Lwana.
Makana councillors expressed mixed feelings when council approved a draft financial policy to regulate the use of municipal credit cards by Mayor Vumile Lwana.
Democratic Alliance chief whip Michael Whisson said during a council meeting last week that the East Rand Metro does not have a credit card and they say they do not need one. He added that for a municipality as small as Makana, "we certainly don’t need it".
The municipality intends to issue Lwana with a credit card and garage card from First National Bank to enhance council business and intergovernmental relations. The council approved the use of credit cards by Lwana and authorised Chief Financial Officer Jackson Ngcelwane to facilitate the process of applying for the cards from FNB.
Responding to a question by ANC councillor Luyanda Nase about whether the policy had gone through council structures before it was tabled, councillor Julia Wells said the matter was discussed during the previous portfolio committee meeting of the Budget, Treasury and Integrated Development Plan (BTI).
According to Municipal Manager Ntombi Baart, the BTI committee resolved that Ngcelwane would seek comments from the national and provincial treasuries regarding the draft policy guidelines. Ngcelwane is yet to receive any feedback.
"A policy of this nature is required in terms of good corporate governance," she said, "and also giving guidance to users on how to best use a credit facility, and also complying with the Municipal Finance Management Act."
The draft policy stipulates that only a full-time mayor is responsible for the use and safeguarding of the municipality’s credit cards. The policy stipulates that all credit card expenses be approved by the municipal manager and costs incurred be for municipal or council use only.
"Payment slips or any proof of payment must be recorded in the municipal manager’s office and forwarded to the chief financial officer for bank reconciliation purposes and any processing of payments required," reads the policy. In terms of the policy, Baart should report monthly on the usage of the cards to the mayoral committee.
Authorised uses of the cards include entertainment of the mayor’s vistors, purchase of meals and refreshments while the mayor is on official trips, purchase of gifts for special guests and incindental expenses.
"The executive mayor is permitted to utilise the municipal credit cards for purchasing gifts (excluding liqour) for special guests," the policy states. "Such gifts must be limited to the value of R350 per guest, and must be clearly disclosed administratively by the municipal manager to the mayoral committee."
