MEC for Co-operative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs, Basikopo Makamu
MEC for Co-operative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs (COGHSTA), Mr Basikopo Makamu has praised the steady improvements in the municipal audit outcomes of the 27 municipalities in Limpopo Province in the 2021/22 Financial Year.
The audit performance of municipalities in the province has been on an improvement path because of the intensified support provided by CoGHSTA, Limpopo Provincial Treasury and SALGA Limpopo.
According to the statement issued by MEC Makamu, “most notable of the achievement of the year under review is that two municipalities, namely Capricorn and Waterberg District Municipalities, attained Clean Audits, an achievement that had not been realized in the past five financial years.”
In addition, Bela-Bela Local Municipality improved from a Disclaimer audit outcome to a Qualified Audit outcome, leaving only one municipality, Mopani District, in the dreaded Disclaimer Audit status.
The Mopani District Municipality adverse audit outcomes last year prompted the Premier of the Province Stanley Chupu Mathabatha to call for intervention by the MECs of COGHSTA Basikopo Makamu, Provincial Treasury Seaparo Sekoati and SALGA Limpopo in their support capacities to municipalities.
From the Disclaimer Audit Outcome of the Mopani district municipality it appears as if the provincial intervention, which was seen in the district as a witch hunt against the outspoken and politically savvy Executive Mayor Pule Shayi, is far from realising improved audit outcomes and even a clean audit.
“It is important to recognize that these favourable achievements were realized despite the delays in the finalization of the 2020/21 external audit and prior to that the challenges that came along with the COVID-19 pandemic. The roles played by the political leadership, amongst others, chairing the Audit Steering Committee meetings has yielded positive results in ensuring that issues raised by AGSA are adequately addressed,” says MEC Makamu, adding that in a province like Limpopo, this continued improvement is unprecedented.
However, MEC Makamu says that there is still a need to strengthen efforts to move Municipalities that have remained stagnant for more than five years on Unqualified audit Opinions to Clean Audit Status. He says this is doable and the higher goal that the provincial government would want to see attained.