S.A’s Mashatile Says Treasury May Cut Budgets to Settle State Debt to Municipalities

S.A’s Deputy president Paul Mashatile says the National Treasury is considering cutting budgets of departments that owe municipalities to settle debt. In August, Finance minister Enoch Godongwana revealed that organs of state collectively owe municipalities 18.6-billion-rand for rates and taxes. In Gauteng alone, the state had a debt of 3.5-billion-rand by the end of July, with provincial government departments accounting for most of the debt. Mashatile told the National Council of Provinces that non-payment of services cripples municipalities: