Premier Mabuza promises Auditor-General improvements on municipal performance

HIGHVELD – Mr David Mabuza, Mpumalanga Premier, promised Mr Kimi Makwetu, the new Auditor-General, that he is committed to improve the audit outcome of the municipalities in the province.

This came after bad audit outcomes received by various municipalities in the past financial year.

Mr Mabuza said he trusted the capabilities of the new members of the executive for the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs and the Department of Finance respectively, to provide the necessary support to the municipalities.

Mr Makwetu said five municipalities in the province received disclaimers in the 2012/2013 audit findings.

He pointed out the lack of consequences for poor performance and transgressions, slow response by leadership to address the root causes of poor performance and non filling of key vacant positions or key officials lacking appropriate competence.

Mr Makwetu said the instability and the lack of skills and competencies in senior management resulted in a lack of significant improvement in the overall audit outcomes in the Gert Sibande District Municipality.

The district provided support to the struggling local municipalities through the appointment of consultants and secondment of staff.

“This is a very bad picture of ourselves.

“It is not something that should make us happy.

“In our case, we were distracted by the elections and we tried to find our footing with the municipalities, but we had to disengage and concentrate on campaigning.

“In as much as we may want to shift the blame to the municipalities, we would like to take the blame too as a provincial government,” said Mr Mabuza.

He further said: “What we have identified as our weakness, is that our support to the municipalities had been very much ad-hoc, we provided support in a form of damage control.

“Sometimes our support has been disruptive in the operations of the municipalities.

“We are therefore restructuring the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs in order to be able to provide permanent support to the municipalities.

“Going forward we are going to act against poor performance.

“It is either we act or get swallowed.

“We must take drastic actions, because there is an indication from the leadership of the municipalities that there is a lack of willingness,” said Mr Mabuza.

He appreciated the constant support to the provincial government by the office of the Auditor-General adding that quality leadership remains a challenge for the municipalities.

“In the main, our biggest challenge is a lack of good leadership.

“As politicians, we get elected by the people.

“Whether we will be able to do the work in the government institutions is another matter.

“We are at a point where we must do introspection as we believe it is discouraging even on the side of the Auditor-General to keep on raising one matter time and again and to see no results.

“The only hope I have is that we have new blood and fresh energy in the two members of the executive for the Department of Finance and the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs.

“Certainly by the time the Auditor-General returns, he will spot the improvement in the business of the municipalities.

“I am prepared to give our people the best they deserve.

“We cannot afford to be counted among the bad.

“Indeed there is no miracle here, we can succeed as a provincial government only when we do things right,” said Mr Mabuza.