COVID-19

Standing fltr, Mr. M Stratu (Director at Community Services) | Mr. R Smith (Head of Department at Corporate Services) | Mr. C Schliemann (Acting Manager: Town Planning and Development)

Seated fltr: Mr. F Lotter (Chief Financial Officer) | Mr. M Booysen (Executive Mayor of Bitou Municiplaity) | Mr. A Paulse (Bitou Municipal Manager)

Bitou Municipality has since the dawn of democracy never been able to achieve a clean audit outcome. The significance of a clean audit is that there are no material misstatement in the finances and no material findings on performance objectives or legislative non-compliances. The said audit outcome is the ultimate sign of good governance and of a capable institution. Bitou has now achieved the ultimate.

The municipal manager, Mr. Allen Paulse indicated that he has, since his appointment in September 2012, set himself the goal to achieve a clean audit within his contract period of 5 years. He stated that “My initial estimates were that this would only be possible to achieve in 5 years given previous audit findings around governance, compliance, performance management, finance and internal control deficiencies experienced at the time. My first priority was to set the scene to source the right and appropriate skills to fulfill our constitutional duty of efficient and effective service delivery to the people of Bitou. To this end suitably, professional qualified appointments were made which now bears the testimony of this achievement.”

The Executive Mayor Memory Booysen further stated that he is delighted but not surprised with this achievement. He said that, “we have,since the DA came into power in 2011, worked very hard to establish a credible municipality, run by skilled professionals. Under my leadership this municipality is focused on service delivery to the people of Bitou, good governance and excellence. The achievement of the clean audit outcome is the cherry on the cake.”I really want to thank the municipal manager, and his team which includes all the workers of Bitou for this achievement.