A worthy example

THE rot in our municipalities goes so deep that it has become almost normal for them to post negative audit reports from the auditor-general.

With the finances of many almost always in a shambles, they continue to bleed huge amounts of money that disappears unaccounted for. No one goes to prison for this and other crimes wantonly committed by those who control the purse strings in the affected municipalities.

In a nutshell: good news out of any municipality is as rare as hen's teeth.

It is for this reason that we doff our hats to the six senior officials of the uMhlathuze municipality in Richards Bay, who have opted to waive their rights to an annual performance bonus and decided the money should go to community development programmes.

It might be hackneyed to say Christmas has arrived early for the people of Richards Bay, eMpangeni, eSikhawini, Madlanzini and Ngwelezane, but no sentiment could be truer.

The exact figure they have pledged to forego hasn't been revealed but this doesn't take away the nobility of the gesture.

The six - the acting municipal manager and five high-ranking officials - say "the needs of the community far outweigh the need to receive performance bonuses", while their peers in other towns have already factored in the bonuses into their fat December budgets.

Our municipalities reek heavily of the stench of corruption, nepotism and maladministration.

The uMhlathuse six are an example worth emulating.