Latest news with #COGTA
The South African
13-06-2025
- Politics
- The South African
Eastern Cape floods: 21 bodies identified
Out of the 78 bodies discovered following the Eastern Cape floods, only 21 have been identified. Numerous people were also left displaced as flood waters washed away houses and destroyed road infrastructure in the province. Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) Minister Velenkosini Hlabisa addressed the media yesterday. He said many of the victims' relatives lost their identity documents during the flood. As a result, they are unable to visit mortuaries to identify bodies without proof of identity. Meanwhile, Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on GOGTA, Dr Zweli Mkhize, expressed sadness following the severe flooding. Dr Mkhize calls for assistance from all those who can help the families affected by the Eastern Cape flood. 'We note its catastrophic consequences with broken hearts. We are with you in this very difficult and heavy time of loss of the loved ones. May their souls rest in eternal peace.' said Dr Mkhize President Cyril Ramaphosa is also expected to visit the affected areas in the Eastern Cape, on Friday morning. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 11. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news
Eyewitness News
11-06-2025
- Eyewitness News
Limpopo Traditional Affairs MEC urges parents to verify legitimacy of initiation schools
JOHANNESBURG - Limpopo Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) MEC Rodgers Makamu urges parents and guardians to verify the registration status of initiation schools before enrolling their children. The MEC made the call during a media briefing on Wednesday, where he was giving a report on progress made in the compliance process. More than 500 applicants have been approved for the 2025 initiation season. ALSO READ: Over 100 school applications approved for Gauteng winter initiation season Makamu also shared that they have identified 18 schools that have been operating illegally across the province. 'We will be working closely with key stakeholders to ensure compliance with the regulations of the Customer Initiation School Act. This includes the South African Police Services as you can see them here, the Department of Health, you can see I'm sitting next to the MEC here, the Department of Education, The NPA [National Prosecuting Authority] will be part of us, the permit holders, the traditional surgeons and caregivers will be part of us."
Eyewitness News
10-06-2025
- Business
- Eyewitness News
'Governance crisis in our municipalities is deepening'
JOHANNESBURG - Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) Portfolio Committee Chairperson, Zweli Mkhize, has warned of a deepening crisis in local government due to financial ill-discipline and poor governance. He also said that the latest audit outcomes confirm what the committee has witnessed during its oversight and will have a serious impact on service delivery. Mkhize gave an update in Parliament on Monday as part of the governance cluster. He said that the office of the Auditor-General (AG) tabled a report that shows that 59 percent of financial statements submitted for auditing by municipalities contained material misstatements This despite municipalities having spent more than R1.4 billion on consultants to do the work. "The latest audit outcomes presented to the Portfolio Committee on Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs by the Auditor-General for the 2023/24 financial year confirm what has long been evident from our oversight, that the financial and governance crisis in our municipalities is deepening, with profound consequences for service delivery and public trust."
Eyewitness News
06-06-2025
- Climate
- Eyewitness News
KZN COGTA to outline safety measures as inclement weather expected this weekend
DURBAN - The Department Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) in KwaZulu-Natal said it would outline safety measures as inclement weather conditions were expected this weekend. The South African Weather Service (SAWS) has warned of cold weather conditions, with the possibility of snowfall in some parts. ALSO READ: Joburg EMS teams on high alert as cold front rolls in This will coincide with the Comrades Marathon race taking place in KwaZulu-Natal this weekend. The department said it would give details on safety plans for residents and athletes. "He will update the province on its state of readiness and how to deal with winter season. The briefing comes hot on the heels of the weather warning that has been issued by the weather services which indicates that the province can expect inclement weather conditions this weekend, which includes snow, hail, damaging winds, and heavy rains which could have a wide impact on the province,' said spokesperson Senzelwe Mzila.
eNCA
03-06-2025
- Business
- eNCA
AG finds troubling decline in municipal finances
JOHANNESBURG - A very small percentage of the country's municipalities (16%) achieved a clean audit. While 39% achieved unqualified audits, a significant majority of these (71 out of 99) still had issues with the quality of their financial statements, indicating underlying weaknesses in financial reporting and controls. More than half of the municipalities (117) received audit outcomes that were not clean or unqualified and, as a result, had to be assisted by the AG to provide proper statements. The AG's findings paint a picture of a municipal landscape struggling with human capital and institutional capacity issues, with the City of Cape Town serving as a beacon of good practice. The AG has expressed concern over the audit outcomes of metropolitan municipalities due to their significant financial and social impact. Metros manage 57% (R350.88 billion) of the national expenditure budget, affecting 46% (8.1 million) of households. They are central to economic activity. Auditor-General's local government report to parliament On May 28, 2025, Auditor-General Tsakani Maluleke presented a briefing to the Portfolio Committee on Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA). The briefing focused on the audit outcomes for local government for the 2023-24 financial year, during which the AG provided a detailed overview of the current state of financial management within the country's municipalities. The AG's mission is to strengthen South Africa's democracy by promoting oversight, accountability, and good governance within the public sector through effective auditing, thereby fostering public confidence. The AG has questioned the competence of the financial officers and consultants employed by these municipalities, emphasising a lack of discipline and understanding of fundamental financial management and reporting principles among those responsible for these tasks. While the number of municipalities receiving disclaimers of audit opinion decreased from 28 to 14, the AG believes this is still unacceptable. She says there is an urgent need for further improvement to eradicate such outcomes. Compounding these concerns, seven municipalities obtained adverse audit findings, signifying that their financial statements were considered entirely unreliable. Further compounding the audit findings, 93 municipalities received qualified audit opinions, signifying inaccuracies within their financial statements. The Auditor-General noted that many municipalities are simply unable to publish credible financial statements. Maluleke says this critical inability raises serious questions about the competence of both administrative and political officeholders within these municipalities. The AG's statement points to systemic issues beyond mere oversight errors, suggesting a fundamental lack of skill and adherence to proper financial practices. This directly impacts transparency, accountability, and the ability of these municipalities to effectively manage public funds and serve their communities. Political officeholders In recognition of the fact that effective leadership significantly contributes to positive municipal outcomes, the Auditor-General is currently evaluating the performance of mayors and municipal speakers. Notably, out of 257 municipalities, only three were not audited: Mafube and Maluti a Phofong in the Free State, and Thaba Chweu in Mpumalanga. These exceptions were due to their failure to submit financial statements. A significant number of Free State municipalities are failing to submit their financial statements on time, impacting the quality of the submissions. Provincial leadership, particularly COGTA, is therefore urged to set clear policies for accepting late submissions. Among all metropolitan municipalities, only the City of Cape Town achieved a clean audit. The Auditor-General is particularly concerned about the audit outcomes of these metro municipalities, noting their critical role in managing 57% of the national expenditure budget. This directly impacts around 8.1 million households and the nation's economic activity, as these metros are its very core. Cape Town received a qualified audit, while Ekurhuleni, Johannesburg, and eThekwini obtained unqualified audits. However, Johannesburg did not provide a quality financial statement. Among the metropolitan municipalities, 50% received qualified audits, including Tshwane, Buffalo City, Mangaung, and Nelson Mandela Bay, all experiencing governance stability challenges. Buffalo City has been particularly affected, with vacancies for key positions in electricity and sanitation management persisting for 80 and 24 months, respectively. These metropolitan areas have consistently weakened their institutional arrangements. Given their resources and locations, they should not face difficulties attracting the necessary skills. Furthermore, metropolitan municipalities are failing to budget adequately for proactive infrastructure maintenance. This is despite National Treasury's recommendation that 8% of the existing infrastructure budget be allocated specifically for this purpose. Such insufficient budgeting ultimately leads to poor service delivery, requiring urgent attention from the metros. Explainer: According to the Auditor General, the following is an explanation of each type of Audit outcome: · CLEAN AUDIT OUTCOME: The financial statements are free from material misstatements (in other words, a financially unqualified audit opinion) and there are no material findings on reporting on performance objectives or non-compliance with legislation. · FINANCIALLY UNQUALIFIED AUDIT OPINION: The financial statements contain no material misstatements. Unless we express a clean audit outcome, findings have been raised on either reporting on predetermined objectives or non-compliance with legislation, or both these aspects. · QUALIFIED AUDIT OPINION: The financial statements contain material misstatements in specific amounts, or there is insufficient evidence for us to conclude that specific amounts included in the financial statements are not materially misstated. · ADVERSE AUDIT OPINION: The financial statements contain material misstatements that are not confined to specific amounts or the misstatements represent a substantial portion of the financial statements. · DISCLAIMER OF AUDIT OPINION: The auditee provided insufficient evidence in the form of documentation on which to base an audit opinion. The lack of sufficient evidence is not confined to specific amounts or represents a substantial portion of the information contained in the financial statements. by Nkateko Muloiwa
