Giyani is on track to a clean audit
Greater Giyani Municipality is getting closer to achieving a clean audit, something it has not accomplished in years.
This comes after the Auditor General’s report released last week indicated that the municipality obtained an unqualified audit report. This simply implies that the municipality’s financial accounts are transparent by generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP), but not sufficient for a clean audit due to some findings that the Auditor General found unsatisfactory.
According to the municipal manager, Duncan Khoza, “the municipality maintained an unqualified audit opinion with a reduced number of findings compared to the previous audit report”, where the municipality had also obtained an unqualified audit report. “This is not the best outcome we envisaged achieving, but it is an improvement from our last audit report,” he said.
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Khoza expressed gratitude to all staff members who collaborated to improve the municipality’s performance. “This would not have been possible without their dedication,” he said, adding that the municipality is hopeful of receiving a clean audit in the future. “Our main objective remains the attainment of a clean audit outcome. We are starting with plans to clean up the issues that have been flagged by the Auditor General.
I have the necessary support from the council and staff to drive towards this milestone,” he said. Greater Giyani Mayor, Clr Thandi Zitha, also commented on the audit outcome, saying that although it is a replica of what the municipality got last year, she was happy because it showed the municipality’s stability and continuity when it comes to managing municipal assets.
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“Obtaining an unqualified audit opinion over two consecutive fiscal years is a good sign that the municipality is moving towards the attainment of a clean audit opinion as its ultimate goal, and we’re not far from that,” she said. The municipality also held a threeday strategic planning workshop at Karibu Resort in Tzaneen to discuss concerns impacting audit results as well as other issues concerning the municipality’s operation.
