Mpumalanga welcomes 4 clean audit reports
2012-07-24 16:58
Mandla Khoza, African Eye
Skukuza - Four of the 13 municipalities nationwide that received clean audits from the Auditor General Terence Nombembe (AG) for the 2010/2011 financial year are based in Mpumalanga.
Addressing the media in Skukuza on Tuesday, Mpumalanga MEC for Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta), Madala Masuku said that although these municipalities got unqualified reports, more still needed to be done.
"We are happy and welcome the auditor general's report. This makes our province the top in the country for having received four unqualified audit reports... ,"said Masuku.
"However, there is still more to be done. We have set up a team from Cogta and the provincial treasury to help those municipalities that didn't do well. Reports have been received from such municipalities."
Mpumalanga has 21 municipalities. Four got unqualified audit reports with no emphasis, namely Ehlanzeni district municipality, Gert Sibande district municipality, Steve Tshwete local municipality and Victor Khanye local municipality.
"These municipalities are leading and torchbearers for our goal of Clean Audit 2014. Their splendid perfomance is worthy to be emulated by other municipalities and they need to keep up their record, even after 2014," said Masuku.
Seven municipalities got unqualified reports with emphasis, three got qualified audit reports and seven municipalities got disclaimers.
Masuku said the AG found unauthorised expenditure amounting to R384m, irregular expenditure amounting to R285m and fruitless and wasteful expenditure amounting to R10m.
"As we know, for municipalities that don't perform, there must be penalties," said Masuku.
He said the provincial task team would visit the poor performers and address the issues raise by the AG.
He warned that municipalities that don't improve even after help from the province will face harsh recommendations, like removing the managers.
Municipalities that got unqualified audit reports with emphasis are: Nkangala district municipality and the Bushbuckridge, Emakhazeni, Nkomazi, Govan Mbeki, Msukaligwa and Mbombela local municipalities.
Uqualified audit reports were given to Dipaliseng, Emalahleni and Thembisile Hani local municipalities.
Those that received disclaimers were: Chief Albert Luthuli, Dr. JS Moroka, Lekwa, Mkhondo, Dr Pixley Ka Seme, Umjindi and Thaba Chweu local municipalities.
