GMM gets another qualified audit opinion with finding
Opposition parties are unhappy with the audit outcome because of the irregular and wasteful expenditure that always appears in all the AG's reports.
Irregular wasteful expenditure and non-financial record-keeping are among the auditor-general’s findings that led to the Govan Mbeki Municipality again receiving a poor audit.
This announcement was made in the Secunda council chamber at the first municipal council meeting on January 26.
The municipality also received a qualified audit opinion last April. Some opposition parties view it as adverse, although the AG’s office saw it as a slight improvement.
The AG’s office also found that the municipality had failed to take steps in revenue enhancement and also failed to apply consequence management to the unauthorised and wasteful expenditures that were not investigated.
Management also ignored the implementation of record-keeping for the information to be available for audit.
It was also found that Eskom and Rand Water were not paid within 30 days after submitting their invoices to the municipality.
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Opposition parties are unhappy with the audit outcome because of the irregular and wasteful expenditure that appears in all the AG’s reports on the municipality.
African Transformation Movement Councillor Lwandile Ziwele said the municipality’s political leadership fails to conduct oversight.
“The leadership is not capable because our municipality is hung. No party obtained 50% of the votes during the election, but one party is taking decisions on behalf of everyone.
“We are not impressed with the AG’s report because there is again irregular, fruitless and wasteful expenditure.
“We want the community to pay, but we fail to account for their money,” said Ziwele.
The EFF said the report will be taken to the Municipal Public Accounts Committee, and it needs to return to the council with a full explanation of where the community’s money is.
“Heads must roll because we cannot continue with an administration that fails to account,” said EFF Councillor Daniel Khoza.
“We have employees with degrees and other financial qualifications, yet they fail to count the municipality’s money.
“The council also provided them with additional training, but then the situation worsened.”
The DA promised to release a statement later.
A representative of the AG’s office said there is an improvement in the municipality compared to previous years when it kept on receiving disclaimer audit opinions.
