Fifth clean audit for Tshwane
The Auditor-General on Thursday tabled a report which gave the Tshwane metro a clean audit despite “malicious” allegations this week that Tshwane had misspent R4 billion of rate payers’ money.
The Tshwane metro has once again received an unqualified audit report.
The Auditor-General (AG) tabled his final report in the first council meeting of 2016 on Thursday.
It is the fifth year in a row that the metro council received an unqualified audit, despite a claim by the DA on Wednesday that the AG had found that Tshwane had misspent R4 billion.
The allegation was made by the DA mayoral candidate for Tshwane Solly Msimanga at a news briefing.
It was based on an alleged “leaked and unsigned” preliminary AG report.
“The metro condemns and rejects allegations peddled in the media by the DA in recent days about the misuse and misappropriation of money by this administration, said Tshwane mayor Kgosientso Ramokgopa.
“No such findings were made by the AG, thus making such allegations unfounded and malicious.”
He said his administration was elated by the unqualified audit report.
The mayor said the legislated timelines for the tabling of the audit report had been fully complied with.
“Nothing in law prevents any auditee from engaging officially with the office of the AG in relation to the audit process underway,” he said.
Such engagements were standard practice to ensure compliance with the timelines in the Municipal Finance Management Act with a view to finalising the audit report.
“Therefore, the allegation of undue influence undermines the integrity of the office of the AG,” the mayor said.
“We refute the thumb-sucked and manufactured figure of R4 billion expenditure cited by some media reports even before the AG had released his audit report.”
He said the figure was unfounded, without substance and devoid of any truth.
“As a responsible city, we respect the independence of the Chapter 9 institutions, such as the office of the AG, hence the metro’s approach to remain reticent on commenting on reports purporting to be those of the AG.”
The Tshwane metro remained committed to good governance and would continue in its endeavour to achieve a clean audit, according to Ramokgopa.
“This administration has been prudent with public finances since it came into office five years ago, and today’s release of the audit report confirms our frugal respect for the public purse and good governance,” Ramokgopa said.
Also read:
Metro said to have misspent billions
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