Portfolio commends SALGA on good work and Clean Audit

Posted: 09 October 2019

The Portfolio Committee on Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs led by Honourable Chairperson Faith Muthambi has commended the South African Local Government Association (SALGA) for its presentation and attaining its 7th Clean Audit at a briefing in Centurion, Wednesday 9 October 2019.

“The committee commends SALGA for keeping its status on achieving a Clean Audit. Those who interacted with SALGA during its difficult days can see that there is an improvement,” said Hon. Muthambi. She further exclaimed that the committee works with SALGA to improve some of the persistent challenges facing local government.

SALGA is listed as a Schedule 3A public entity and is therefore accountable for its revenue and expenditure in terms of the Public Finance Management Act of 1999. It is called to account to Parliament annually on its performance and expenditure as a consequence of its listing in terms of this Act.

In her opening remarks, SALGA President Thembi Nkadimeng said: “any celebration of our achievements is indeed shared with our partners. Premised on the belief that local government is everyone’s business, SALGA will continue to collaborate widely and establish joint ventures strategically to fulfil its mandate and execute its strategy going forward.”

SALGA Chief Executive Officer Xolile George gave a detailed presentation, highlighting the journey and the achievements of local government. He told the Portfolio Committee that the attainment of a Clean Audit opinion is in line with SALGA’s ultimate goal to maintain clean administration characterised by good governance and inspire local government as whole to strive towards clean administration.

SALGA’s performance serves as an example to 257 member-municipalities and seeks to inspire the desired state of good corporate governance in the local government sector.

Honourable Members raised questions about the billing system, governance failures in certain municipalities and invited SALGA to engage political parties to scrutinize the list of deployees to local government to ensure that only the best and deserving leaders serve the sector.

The meeting agreed that local government does not require overregulation but a differentiated approach.