Auditor General says municipalities continue to default and submit their financials late
Maluleke says instability at the level of the Chief Financial Officer is also at the root of the poor financial management in most struggling municipalities across the country.
Auditor-General Tsakani Maluleke briefs the media on audit outcomes of national and provincial departments. Picture: GCIS
CAPE TOWN - Auditor General, Tsakani Maluleke, said that municipalities continue to default and submit their financials late, mostly because of a lack of discipline as opposed to a lack of skill.
Maluleke said that the instability at the level of the Chief Financial Officer is also at the root of the poor financial management in most struggling municipalities across the country.
Maluleke told the standing committee on the auditor general today that the Free State is one of the provinces that struggles the most when it comes to noncompliance.
AG Tsakani Maluleke was back in parliament to brief MPs on the continuing poor state of local government.
But this time she focused her attention on the late submission of annual financial statements, which led to the delayed completion of audits.
Maluleke says it’s more than just a skills problem or the appointment of unqualified people.
"It’s more discipline and the capabilities that a disciplined environment brings into the picture."
Maluleke says not finding the right people in the key positions is another cause for concern.
"Sometimes, the submission of financial statements is because you’ll find that there’s some instability in the CFO level in particular, and so they then struggle to get the submission at the right quality and at the right time."
Maluleke noted that overall submissions are improving, but some of the same municipalities continue to fall foul of local government legislation.