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The Auditor General has given the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality its fourth unqualifed audit opinion for the annual fnancial statements of the 2010/11 fnancial year, and to top that, the Municipality also won a Vuna Award for its continuous maintenance of an unqualifed audit outcome.

It is the fourth time in a row that the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality has received an unqualifed audit opinion, underscoring the success of the Municipality in recent years in ensuring sound fnancial management and accounting practices, among other things.

The Vuna Awards are held annually by the Eastern Cape Local Government and Traditional Affairs and acknowledges some of the best performing Municipalities in the province.

The Executive Mayor, Cllr. Zanoxolo Wayile, says the Vuna Awards are a yardstick for all municipalities in the Eastern Cape Province to assess the progress they have made in improving the lives of ordinary people.

“We are pleased to have won an award that indicates our commitment to clean governance and accountability. We will together continue to do more to make sure we achieve a clean audit report. I also congratulate the offcials who have worked

hard for the Municipality to celebrate in this achievement,” said Mayor Wayile.

Portfolio Chairperson for Budget and Treasury, Cllr Balu Naran, said the Municipality has strengthened its internal audit control and is ensuring that anti-fraud and corruption processes are followed up.

Cllr Naran said the implementation of a Turnaround Strategy has yielded positive improvements for the Municipality’s fnancial situation.

“The Municipality is currently in a sound fnancial position and we are trying to establish a capital reserve. As an institution we are fortunate enough to fund our own insurance, and we are recording a revenue collection rate of above 95%,” said Cllr Naran.

“The Municipality needs to exercise discipline in our spending, and projects that emerge on an ad hoc basis is a practice that needs to come to an end. The Municipality needs to practice good fscal discipline if it wants to remain a sustainable local authority for the next couple of years, and needs to explore other forms of income such as land sales,” said Cllr Naran.

The Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality has done the city proud by scooping the prestigious Vuna Award for its continuous maintenance of an unqualifed audit outcome. The NMBM walked away with R45 000 as its reward. Sharing in the proud moment at the prize giving in February were

MUNICIPALITY COLLECTS

ITS FOURTH UNQUALIFIED AUDIT OPINION