All DA-run WC municipalities receive unqualified audit opinions

POLITICAL NEWS - All 25 DA-run municipalities in the Western Cape province have received unqualified audit outcomes. This was revealed as the Auditor-General’s 2019/20 Local Government (MFMA) Audit Outcomes were presented to the Standing Committee today, 17 August.

Derrick America, MPP, the DA’s Western Cape Spokesperson on Local Government, says after a total of R73 billion expenditure budgets had been taken into consideration, 18 municipalities were given clean audits.

“This is a 38% improvement from the previous financial year which only saw 13 local governments achieve clean audits. In addition to this, a further 9 municipalities received unqualified audits which means that a total of 90% of the Western Cape’s local administrations have spent the public’s money as it should be – for the people.

"Such achievements can be seen in the West Coast District Municipality, which, under DA governance, has been able to have clean audits for 10 consecutive years – a national record,” he says.

“Whilst the municipalities run by the DA have gone from strength to strength, those run by the ANC tell a different story. We see how Cederberg municipality has regressed to having unqualified audits with findings. More worryingly, Laingsburg and Kannaland have both received qualified outcomes with findings.

"Beaufort West – one of the 22 municipalities in the country unable to account for R5,5 billion in the fiscus – was given the worst rating of a disclaimed outcome with findings.”

America says the recent audits only reflect the period prior to the Covid-19 pandemic. “We can be certain that the cadre feeding frenzy will reflect more deterioration in the 2020/21 report.”

America will be monitoring the implementation plan of the MFMA audits, and will also be requesting the Department to brief the Standing Committee on the state of each municipality in the Western Cape as well as the steps being taken to address the deficiencies outlined by the audits.