“NW audit outcomes promising” – Auditor General

The Auditor General Tsakani Maluleke says the North West provincial government is on a promising trajectory in relation to audit outcomes compared to the previous fiscal years.Maluleke revealed this during a meeting with Premier Lazarus Mokgosi on Tuesday in Klerksdorp at the Matlosana Local Municipality. In the 2023/24 fiscal year the nine provincial departments received unqualified audit outcomes with two receiving clean audits.Only one department received a qualified audit opinion with reduced qualification paragraphs.Mokgosi, who was accompanied by acting MEC for Provincial Treasury, Sussana Dantjie, Superintendent-General Ndlela Kunene and other senior government officials said these “outcomes signify a turning point on the province’s efforts to strengthen the rule of law, accountability, transparency and responsiveness.”Mokgogsi maintains that only a well-run government which prioritizes good governance practices has a potential to unlock various investment opportunities for the province.“We will not be able to lure investments and address challenges of unemployment if we don’t focus our energies on ensuring that we prioritize clean governance,” said Mokgosi. The Premier believes that with the extended unemployment rate at about 55% as per the second quarter of the year Labour Survey report, only a functional government will be able to address the scourge of unemployment and the needs of the people in the province. Moreover, Mokgosi is adamant that the audit outcomes serve as a glimmer of hope that the government is on a correct developmental trajectory to deal with the challenges facing the province and create socio-economic opportunities for the citizens.