West Rand municipalities audit worries DA
Westonaria fails to submit financial statements for auditing.
The DA is concerned about the West Rand’s poor performance in the audit outcomes for local municipalities.
According to Fred Nel, DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, “The West Rand municipalities audit performance’s outcome was less rosy against municipalities across the province’s improved audit performance.
“Improved audit outcomes do not automatically imply financial stability but it is a good metre to measure improved financial sustainability.”
Negative audit outcomes from the West Rand District Municipality, Randfontein Local Municipality and the West Rand Development Agency were noted with Westonaria failing to submit financial statements for auditing.
The big concern is the Gauteng Provincial Department for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) took extensive measures to assist these municipalities in improving their audit performances. They have however, deteriorated in doing so.
MEC for COGTA in Gauteng, Jacob Mamabolo is expected to explain how his department failed to improve the financial standing of these municipalities.These municipalities are planning a merger, which the DA strongly opposes.
Municipalities should not merge unless all aspects of the municipalities are financially and managerially sound.
He also says, “Lumping municipalities together will cause financial mismanagement on a bigger scale and that the proposed West Rand Metro is destined to fail before it gets off the ground, putting lives of residents at serious risk”
He stated that MEC Mamabola should take responsibility for his departments failure in dealing with the managerial problems of the West Rand Metro and he would be very irresponsible not to show leadership and to halt current attempted formation of a West Rand Metro until all financial affairs are in place.
Comment is awaited from the Randfontein and Westonaria Local Municipalities.
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Also read:
Only 30 of the 319 municipalities have clean audits – auditor general
Four municipalities’ merger a bad idea – DA
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