LETTER: Cape Town should make MPAC meetings open to the public

The GOOD Party calls on the City of Cape Town to make Municipal Public Accounts Committee (MPAC) meetings transparent and open to the public.

Currently, the City’s MPAC, specifically task-team meetings where matters are investigated, are generally closed to the Public.

MPAC was established to play an oversight role in how public funds are spent by the executive.

Essentially the Municipal Public Accounts Committee acts in a similar capacity to that of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts at a National and Provincial level.

Yet all SCOPA meetings are open to public scrutiny.

Ministers, Director Generals and even the President are forced to air their dirty laundry in an open session.

So why is it that the City of Cape Town feels that the City Manager, Mayor and the executive do not need to be held to the same level of oversight?

In a constitutional democracy, it is essential for executives to be held accountable.

According to statistics released by Africa Watch over 900 cases of Fraud and Corruption have been reported to the City.

It is imperative for us to examine the degree of public accessibility to these matters.

The South African Local Government Association MPAC practical guide (issued 2012) states that the meetings of the MPAC should, as far as is possible and practical, be open to the public in accordance with section 160(7) of the Constitution.

The City’s own Terms of Reference to guide the MPAC (adopted by Council on 27 July 2023) state that MPAC meetings, except special and confidential meetings, are open to the public.

Yet when the GOOD Cape Town Caucus requested that all task teams, including investigations, reports, feedback and outcomes be open to the public – our request was dismissed as not legally compliant, but they failed to provided any reasons or law to substantiate their opinion.

In a written response, the office of the speaker said ‘the City Manager has determined that none of Council’s political structures are legally competent to take the required decision, as the Motion itself is not legally compliant.’

GOOD calls for the operation and functioning of MPAC to be brought in line with that of SCOPA, where Ministers, Heads of Departments, and Directors' affairs are all scrutinised on a Public Platform.

The public has a right to know how their tax money is being spent.

* Chad Davids, City of Cape Town Councillor (GOOD).

** The views expressed here are not necessarily those of Independent Media.

Cape Argus

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