EKURHULENI City stole the show on December 2 when it scooped a total of six clean audits, passing the score with flying colours. This was the first time the city achieved a clean audit in 14 years.
The city and its five entities achieved clean audits for the 2013/2014 financial year.
Speaking at the handover function by the Office of the Auditor General in Pretoria on Tuesday last week, a clearly thrilled Ekurhuleni mayor, Mondli Gungubele, thanked the political and administrative leaderships of the city for conducting government business according to the Municipal Finance Management Act requirements.
“This is a mission of fulfilment. Let me express gratitude to the leadership of Gauteng Province as well for having demonstrated true commitment to the audit imperatives of the Office of the Auditor General (AG). Gratitude must also go to my predecessors for their role in ensuring that a solid foundation was laid towards the clean audit,” Gungubele said.
The mayor also thanked the AG team for their robust, frank and truthful attitude in assisting the city in achieving its goal.
“When the late Minister for Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Mr Sicelo Shiceka, launched Operation Clean Audit 2014, we knew that if we applied our minds as a team the mission was possible. Prior to this great achievement we have gone four unqualified audits in a row and this gave us hope that our ultimate objective would be achieved sooner than we thought,” he said after receiving the city’s award.
Ekurhuleni scooped a total of six clean audits, which went to the metro and five of the city’s entities, Brakpan Bus Company, Ekurhuleni Development Company, Lethabong Housing Institute, the Greater Germiston Phase Two Housing Company and Pharo Park Housing Company.
Only one entity, East Rand Water Company, wasn’t as successful and was described by the Auditor General’s office as a “low hanging fruit”, showing that a clean audit for them was on the cards.
Being only 14 years old, this is a great achievement for the city. It was established after the amalgamation of 11 erstwhile administrations which used to constitute the former East Rand.
One of the most difficult tasks after the amalgamation was organising the administrative systems in such a way that would ensure there was no disruption to service delivery.
“Indeed that was achieved, albeit with some difficulties due to the different systems that each of the towns employed before the merger. Fourteen years later, all the hard work has finally been rewarded.
“What this clean audit also means to us as a city is that we have put in place good systems and processes for handling public funds.”
The mayor concluded: “Now that we have achieved so much, the challenge is to sustain our achievement. We are committed to achieving this though.”
Themba Gadebe, Ekurhuleni metro spokesman, said this achievement was the result of the city’s unwavering commitment to the AG at the end of the 2012/2013 financial year to attend to suggestions made on how to improve and achieve a clean audit in the following financial year.
“The commitments include, among others, ensuring that the internal control environment is enhanced, audit findings are cleared in a sustainable manner, and the metro has competent skills to enhance compliance with the laws and regulations. Most importantly, the commitment seeks to ensure that the city is able to deliver services in a most effective and efficient manner and in line with the Integrated Development Plans,” Gadebe said.
