83% of municipalities in the Western Cape receive clean audit opinions | Western Cape Government

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83% of municipalities in the Western Cape receive clean audit opinions

30 June 2021

The Auditor General of South Africa (AGSA) has awarded fourteen municipalities out of thirty in the province with clean audit opinions for the 2019-2020 financial year. A further eleven municipalities received unqualified opinions. This means that 83% of the 30 municipalities in the Western Cape have so far received either clean or unqualified audits, with three audits remaining outstanding.

Beaufort-West municipality is the only municipality in the Western Cape that received a disclaimed audit opinion with findings while Kannaland and Laingsburg received qualified opinions.

Auditor-General Tsakani Maluleke tabled the latest report on the local government audit outcomes for the 2019-20 financial year in parliament today.

Anton Bredell, Minister of Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning noted the announcement and praised municipalities in the province for their efforts.

“Despite the ongoing Covid challenges, Western Cape municipalities have improved their performance, last year we had 13 clean audits. The outcomes provide further assurance to citizens of the province that their money is going where it should and not into the pockets of corrupt politicians and officials. Good service delivery from municipalities goes hand in hand with quality financial performance. The one is impossible without the other.”

The AGSA recorded total municipal irregular expenditure across all 257 municipalities in the country at R26 billion.

“The AG found it encouraging that unauthorised expenditure in the Western Cape decreased from R434 million in 2018-19 to R195 million in 2019-20, less than 1% of the national total.”

Total fruitless and wasteful expenditure for the country amounted to R3.47 billion. In the Western Cape the amount was R9 million.

The municipalities in the Western Cape that have received clean audits are: Mossel Bay, Cape Agulhas, Overstrand, Swellendam, Theewaterskloof, Cape Winelands, Breede Valley, Drakenstein, Langeberg, Witzenberg, Saldanha Bay, Swartland, Central Karoo and Prince Albert.”

“From a financial health perspective, it is extremely positive that none of the municipalities in the Western Cape reported on, were found to be in a financially vulnerable position. I want to congratulate our municipal leaders and the department of Local government in the province for another job well done.”

Media Enquiries: 

James-Brent Styan

Spokesperson for the Minister of Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning, Anton Bredell

Mobile:                   084 583 1670

Telephone:            021 483 2820

E-mail:                    James-Brent.Styan@westerncape.gov.za