DA-led Western Cape is top in audit outcomes

The Western Cape is SA’s topperforming province in terms of its provincial and municipal audit outcomes for the 2016-17 fiscal year, says auditor-general Kimi Makwetu.

The Western Cape government said on Tuesday it had obtained clean audits in 44 of its 55 provincial departments, municipalities and public entities, which were placed at a pass rate of 80%.

The Western Cape is the only province in the country run by the DA, which is under heavy pressure with the severe drought in the province and has also been beset by political instability in its flagship Cape Town metro. This has led to the DA now fighting to avert the metro being placed under administration.

Business Day reported earlier this week that the City of Cape Town’s audit findings were downgraded from clean to unqualified. Opposition parties blamed the downgrade on the DA administration and not only on the political machinations involving mayor Patricia De Lille.

Makwetu said in 2017 that Western Cape Premier Helen Zille’s office was the only premier’s office in the country that gave the required level of assurance, which included management, leadership and oversight for the 2015-16 financial year. “What the outcome of a clean audit suggests is that the correct processes were followed and transparency was observed,” the auditor-general said of the 2016-17 outcomes.

Zille said effective democracies were “underpinned by three principles, namely a capable state, the rule of law and accountability”.

The provincial government indicated that 100% of its entities in the province received clean audit; and 71% of its municipalities, including municipal entities, received clean audits.

Western Cape finance MEC Ivan Meyer said the province’s vision was for “good financial governance and improved service delivery”.

“We respect taxpayers’ money and the audit outcome is proof of that,” Meyer said.

‘WE RESPECT TAXPAYERS’ MONEY AND THE AUDIT OUTCOME IS PROOF OF THAT’