North West Premier Thandi Modise has called on public representatives and senior managers at all levels of government, including public entities and municipalities to do everything in their power to overcome instances of significant wastage of public funds, inefficiencies and corruption which she says has a potential to obliterate public confidence in the state and undermine the 1994 democratic gains that have thus far been made.
Premier Modise made an appeal to leaders in the province to act in unison to change the lives of the people in the province for the better despite their political differences or preferences in her keynote address delivered at the Provincial 2014 Clean Audit Indaba held at the Mmabatho Civic Centre on Thursday.
The Premier, Members of the Executive Council, Heads of Departments, Chairpersons and Chief Executive Officer of public entities, Chief Financial Officers and members of the Provincial Audit Committees and Municipal Public Accounts Committees adopted a clean audit outcome commitment charter committing to good governance and achievement of clean audits by 2014.
Modise said that corruption poses a challenge to clean governance within the state and must be confronted with great vigour and courage as it continues to eat institutions of governance like cancer.
“The greatest threat to our effort is fraud and corruption and if it is left unabated, it will obliterate the democratic gains we have made, the masses of our people will lose confidence in us and anarchy will prevail over good and we shall all perish and chaos will rise,” the Premier warned.
Her call to Heads of Department, Municipal Managers and Chief Financial Officers to insist on written instructions from politicians who want to interfere in awarding of tenders was met with a thunderous applause.
Premier Modise said that reporting such corrupt individuals is a patriotic duty of every senior managers who is put under undue pressure to do wrong things. She reminded senior managers that they should deliver quality service to communities and be loyal to the electorate above anyone else.
Modise said that those who thrive on corruption will do everything in their power to destabilise and undermine efforts to achieve clean governance and administration as it does not serve their interests.
“However difficult it may be, those of us who call ourselves revolutionaries must continue to wage the battle against the scourge of corruption and defend the democratic gains we have made, for we are merely servants of the people,” she emphasised.
Premier Modise said that leaders the moral and political obligation to lead society into the right direction as the people of the province have entrusted them with the mammoth task to carry forward their hopes and aspirations and they dare not fail them.
Modise pointed out that five municipalities achieved unqualified audit opinions for the 2012/13 financial year compared to the two who had received unqualified audit opinions during the 2011/12 financial year and said that though there are challenges, this improvement illustrates that the province is on the right track.
She said that as part of its contribution towards the local government turn-around strategy, the provincial government will be assisting 8 municipalities with preparations of Annual Financial Statements for the 2012/13 as well as audit support until audit is concluded in November.
MEC for Finance and Acting MEC for Local Government, Paul Sebegoe called on municipalities to report instances of lost documents to the police for criminal investigations to be instituted.
MEC Sebegoe indicated that province has completed skills audit for Chief Financial Officers in provincial government departments, public entities and municipalities.
Sebegoe urged municipalities to strive to issue their bills before month end for households to budget for payment.
In supporting the call by the auditor general and Premier Modise for suitably qualified individuals to be appointed in finance and supply chain management, Ramotshere Moiloa Mayor Afrika Thale said that clean audit 2014 would be pipedream if municipalities continued with appointing nurses and social workers in their finance departments.
South African Local Government Association Provincial Chairperson Councillor Kaone Lobelo and Deputy Chairperson Councillor Lenah Miga in expressing appreciation for the support they are receiving from the provincial government urged municipalities to attend sessions intended to assist them.
Enquiries:
Lesiba Moses Kgwele, Spokesperson
Tel: 018 388 3705
Cell: 083 629 1987
E-mail: LKgwele@gmail.com
