Audit green light for district
District scores clean 2012/2013 municipal audit
THE uThungulu District Municipality has added another feather to its cap.
It was named best performing municipality in KZN last week, scoring a clean 2012/2013 municipal audit.
The report was seriously unveiled by the Auditor General’s audit team leader Futhi Makhanya during a special council meeting at uThungulu House on Thursday.
Seven clean audits were reported in KZN, including uMhlathuze, Ntambanana, Ubuhlebezwe, uMzimkhulu, Okhahlamba and Msinga municipalities, while additional clean audits for most municipal entities as well as 19 improvements in audit outcomes for the province’s 61 municipalities were noted.
This represented a huge jump in comparison to the last municipal audits where the province only recorded one clean audit.
MEC for Department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (GOGTA), Nomusa Dube-Ncube, said the clean audits for KZN were the culmination of steady improvements.
‘A number of municipalities have improved remarkably, with some turning the corner from a disclaimer to an unqualified audit. Jozini Municipality and uMkhanyakude District Municipality progressed from a disclaimer to a qualified audit.
‘The few remaining technical challenges are municipal asset management which is still a recurring audit issue along with revenue-related matters.
‘Both of these areas will receive additional targeted support from COGTA as we analyse the latest audit outcomes with municipalities on an individual basis,’ said Dube-Ncube.
Welcoming the achievement, uThungulu Mayor Thembeka Mchunu thanked the Auditor General team for assisting to bring about improvement and also praised the internal auditors for ensuring compliance.
Chief Financial Officer Cheryl Reddy said the audit reflected good governance and prudent financial management and will increase communities’ confidence in government and hopefully open more opportunities for funding.
