Mpac to debate Bay audit report

The committees of the Nelson Mandela Bay council are slowly getting back to work and today the municipal public accounts committee (Mpac) will debate the 2018/2019 draft annual report and the auditor-general’s dismal audit report for the metro.

Mpac had made previous attempts to debate the annual report but councillors said it would be futile to debate the annual report without the AG’s audit as it was incomplete.

The councillors had also complained about the font being too small on the annual report, claiming they could not read it properly.

This will be the first Mpac sitting after the national lockdown started in March.

Yesterday, Mpac chair Phumza Tshanga said the committee would debate the AG’s report as well as the audit report on the Mandela Bay Development Agency.

The city had a dismal report from AG Kimi Makwetu, receiving its eighth consecutive qualified audit opinion.

Makwetu said instability, poor consequence management and ineffective control systems earned the metro the qualified audit opinion.

Poor financial records and a R16.5bn irregular expenditure bill dating back to 2002 were also cited in the AG’s report.

Tshanga said Mpac was in the process of performing its oversight responsibility when the Covid-19 pandemic swept into the country and the national lockdown ensured that the committee could not meet.

“This meeting will also see the committee look to agree on a Covid-19-adjusted approach to its meetings which will ensure the health and safety of councillors, officials and all who attend the Mpac meetings.

“Over the next three weeks, the Mpac will interrogate the now updated annual report of the municipality and finalise its oversight report.

“It is envisaged that we will finalise this process by the end of July for tabling at the first council meeting of August,” Tshanga said.