 | These are the best managed municipalities in SA today
09 June 2023 | Press Releases |
6 June 2023
The Office of the Auditor-General of South Africa (AGSA) has published its annual review of local municipalities, covering the audit results for the 2021/22 financial year.
Only 15% of South Africa's 257 municipalities achieved a clean audit. The report shows a continued decline in the financial health of the country's municipalities, with the vast majority (85%) not receiving a clean audit.
According to the Auditor-General, municipalities with clean audits are characterised by sound financial and performance management disciplines and perform their functions in accordance with applicable legislation. These municipalities show what can be achieved in South Africa and serve as a shining example to others.
In the Consolidated General Report on Local Government Audit Outcomes for 2021/22, the Auditor-General lists 33 municipalities in the country that have managed to achieve consecutive clean audits. The majority of these municipalities (19) are in the Western Cape, which is more than the total (14) of what the eight other provinces combined have produced. The North-West and Free State have no municipalities ranked.
The 10 Best Municipalities in South Africa, achieving clean audit opinions in consecutive years, are:
1. West Coast District Municipality (District)
2. Overstrand Municipality (Local)
3. Witzenberg Municipality (Local)
4. Cape Agulhas Municipality (Local)
5. Cape Winelands District Municipality (District)
6. Hessequa Municipality (Local)
7. Midvaal Municipality (Local)
8. Okhahlamba Municipality (Local)
9. Bergrivier Municipality (Local)
10. Drakenstein Municipality (Secondary city)
The top performer or Number One in each category in South Africa is:
- Best Province: Western Cape
- Best Secondary City: Drakenstein Municipality (Western Cape)
- Best District Municipality: West Coast (Western Cape)
- Best Local Municipality: Overstrand Municipality (Western Cape)
Last month, Drakenstein Municipality was also awarded the Western Cape's best secondary city and runner-up in the Best Municipality category at the 8th Provincial Government's Service Excellence Awards, sharing this place with Swartland Municipality. Overstrand Municipality claimed the top spot. The Service Excellence Awards recognise and reward excellence in the public sector, promote a citizen-centric culture, and entrench professionalism.
Since 2011, Drakenstein Municipality has achieved 15 consecutive unqualified audit opinions from the Auditor-General of South Africa, of which eight were clean audits.
“We are delighted to again receive a clean bill of health from the Auditor-General," said Alderman Conrad Poole, Executive Mayor of Drakenstein Municipality. “This clean audit is a testament of hard work and keeping our eye on the ball. Consecutive clean audits can only be achieved when a municipality is managed with integrity, leadership thinking, accountability, a zero-tolerance approach to corruption, and within a stable political and administrative environment. I want to congratulate Dr Johan Leibbrandt, our City Manager, and his highly skilled management team."
Dr Leibbrandt said: “These accomplishments are the result of uncompromising fiscal discipline, clean governance, and responsible financial management - all achieved with in-house capacity and without the appointment of any costly consultants. Despite increasing and unforeseen demands on municipalities, we keep on delivering on our core mandate which is service delivery and the provision of solid infrastructure. We are strict on performance management, and we focus on getting things done."
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Issued by: Communication and Marketing, Drakenstein Municipality
