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Acting North West MEC for Local Government and Traditional Affairs, Paul Sebegoe has called for a harsh punishment against municipal officials who deliberately misplace or loose critical documents during time of auditing. He said losing such documents should be classified as a serious criminal offence.

MEC Sebegoe who recently engaged with Executive Mayors, Mayors, councillors and officials of local and district municipalities in Bojanala Platinum, Dr Kenneth Kaunda and Ngaka Modiri Molema in the North West with the sole purpose of assessing the state of readiness of municipalities in achieving Clean Audit by 2014, also registered his concern over municipalities that do not make efforts to address issues raised by the Auditor-General year after year.

“”The Auditor-General has cited a number of issues in the 2011/2012 audit report ranging from lack of political tone-setting in municipalities, non-compliance to applicable legislation and flouting and deviation from supply chain management procedures and some municipalities continue to ignore this queries which then get repeated the following year. The A-G has also raised a serious concern over the quality of the financial statements that get submitted”, he said.

He said both the Provincial Departments of Local Government and Traditional Affairs and Finance will work with municipalities to compile financial recovery plans as well as monitor the implementation of audit action plans.

“Municipalities will now have to submit their 2012/2013 annual financial statements to the Provincial Treasury for scrutiny before  they finally submit to the Office of the Auditor-General and this is to make sure that we are able improve  on the quality of the financial statements before they get audited.

Meanwhile, MEC Sebegoe resumes his engagement session with Executive Mayors, Mayors and officials in Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati District Municipality and its local municipalities on 07 May 2013 in Vryburg, Banquet Hall.