Expert: Treasury funding freeze exposes municipal governance crisis

National Treasury says is in a process to temporarily withhold July 2026 funds to 69 municipalities across all nine provinces over persistent financial management failures. Treasury says the move is intended to enforce fiscal discipline, improve accountability and address unauthorised, irregular, fruitless and wasteful expenditure. The affected municipalities allegedly failed to comply with the Municipal Finance Management Act despite repeated support and engagement. Sakina Kamwendo spoke to Ntiyiso Consulting Group Chief Advisor, Miyelani Holeni, who is also a Revenue and Local Government specialist,