The Municipal Public Accounts Committee (MPAC) has applauded the clean audit outcomes achieved by the Housing Company Tshwane (HCT) and the Tshwane Economic Development Agency (TEDA) for the 2024/25 financial year.

MPAC chairperson Godwin Ratikwane described the achievement as a positive indication of improved financial management and service delivery.

Ratikwane said unqualified audit findings not only reflect good financial management but also indicate that the city’s entities are providing adequate services to the citizens of Pretoria.

“TEDA is receiving an unqualified audit for the second successive financial year while HCT swiftly moves from a previously qualified audit opinion in the 2023/24 financial year to an unqualified audit opinion in the 2024/25 financial year, currently under review.”

Ratikwane said MPAC is pleased by the good work which continues to be done by TEDA and acknowledged the great improvement by HCT.

“The improvement by HCT is mainly attributed to the hard work they have put in, in ensuring that their financials are in a good state, mainly because their previous audit findings (2023/24) were due to inconsistencies in their financial reporting.”

He said these audit outcomes by the two entities of the city are a clear indication that the administration is getting things right and that the city is now moving in the right direction.

“However, the committee remains concerned with the city’s overall poor audit outcome for the financial year under review and remains committed to ensuring effective oversight and addressing the critical findings flagged by the Auditor-General of South Africa.”

He added that MPAC would like to encourage TEDA and HCT to continue with their good work, both in financial management and in their performance targets.

“The committee further commits to the citizens that it shall continue to implement effective oversight and robustly address all findings flagged by the AGSA in their 2024/24 audit report.”

The DA in Tshwane said while the clean audit outcomes achieved by the HCT and TEDA are satisfactory, they do not reflect broader financial stability within the city.

DA Tshwane caucus leader and mayoral candidate, Cilliers Brink, said the clean audits relate strictly to financial compliance.

“We view the clean audits as satisfactory in that they confirm there are no material misstatements in the financial records of HCT and TEDA. However, this should not be interpreted as an endorsement of the strategies or policy implementation of these entities. A clean audit speaks to financial performance, not necessarily effective governance or service delivery impact,” Brink said.

He expressed concern about Tshwane’s overall audit performance.

“The city’s financial position remains under severe strain. We are concerned that there is insufficient political will to resolve the material misstatements and findings raised by the Auditor-General.

“Instead of constructively supporting senior officials to correct these issues, there appears to be a tendency to target individuals for political purposes,” he said.

Brink further accused the political administration of using audit outcomes for political gain rather than addressing administrative financial weaknesses.

“Rather than fixing the regressions and poor performance, the administration is more focused on messaging than meaningful reform.

“Financial reporting communicated to residents has been misleading, and there is a clear disconnect between political leadership and the operational realities of the city.”

He said the DA does not believe sufficient steps are being taken to ensure accountability and improved financial governance across municipal entities.

“Performance is regressing, and decisive action against corruption is lacking. Even cases involving senior political office bearers have not been addressed with the urgency required. This undermines confidence in the city’s commitment to restoring financial stability and accountability,” Brink said.

He added that Pretoria residents deserve transparent leadership and credible financial management that prioritises service delivery over political positioning.

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