Last week, our auditor-general told us that of the 257 municipalities in the country, 215 are mismanaged and millions of rand in them go missing. When these unaccounted-for funds from these dysfunctional municipalities are put together, the figures go up to billions of rand that our communities are not receiving in public services.

This happens in a country where over 10m young people are without jobs, education and training – and this youth population also comes from families who survive below the poverty line...