Out of the country’s 257 municipalities, only 20 were awarded clean bills of health from the Auditor General of South Africa (AGSA). Good news is that most of these municipalities are in the Western Cape.
Anton Bredell, Minister of Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning said, 13 out of the 20 municipalities are in the Western Cape, which means that 72% of municipalities in the Western Cape are in good financial health.
These municipalities include:
– Bergrivier
– Cederberg
– Saldanha Bay
– Drakenstein
– Langeberg
– Witzenberg
– Cape Agulhas
– Overstrand
– Theewaterskloof
– Cape Winelands District Municipality
– West Coast District Municipality
– Hessequa
– Prince Albert
According to Bredell, 14 more municipalities including the City of Cape Town received unqualified audits, which is also commendable.
“It’s simple. These reports show that taxpayers money is going where it is meant to go and not to lining the pockets of friends and families of politicians or corrupt officials. Managing money well, not wasting or stealing it, is critical if you want to deliver the services needed to make the province a better place for all who live in it,” says Bredell.
He added that based on Statistics South Africa’s non-financial census of municipalities report, there is evidence that shows the Western Cape is dedicated to providing essential services to the poor in the province.
“On every level of basic services, no other province’s municipalities provide more services to its poorest citizens. The facts speak for themselves.
“I want to congratulate and thank each municipal leader and official who has made these outcomes possible. I also want to commend my department for the work they do to support our municipalities.”
Picture: Visit Paarl