Ramotshere Moiloa scoops the Most Improved Municipal Award

After achieving a number of disclaimers in the previous years, Ramotshere Moiloa shook off the dust and achieved an unqualified audit opinion for 2014/15 Financial year. The Municipality was awarded for the splendid achievement by the Auditor General in December 2015. However, that was not the end, during the Chartered Institute of Government Finance, Audit & Risk Officer (CIGFARO)’s 87th annual conference; the Municipality was awarded a clean administration award under the category of the Most Improved Municipality with clean Audit Opinion in Durban recently.

The award was received based on the Auditor General’s Audit outcome for the 2014/15 for the most improved municipalities with the objective of encouraging the municipalities to do more to get clean audit continuously and not regress. This achievement comes shortly after the Local Government elections; thus proving that indeed the 15 years of developmental local government is worth celebrating and the baton must be carried forward. 

The ceremony was dignified by the Deputy Minister of Cooperative Local Government and Traditional Affairs (COGTA), Obed Bapela, who applauded the municipality on its achievement and also encouraged administration and political offices to work together not leaving the traditional leaders in the cold. “These awards are based on nothing else but service delivery. I would like to encourage cooperation amongst all the stakeholders that make it possible to achieve our dream of building ideal municipalities. Most of our municipalities are rural and villages are on the tribal lands. When taking the projects to the villages, let’s engage with the local authorities and our communities and work in harmony and avoid unwanted and unplanned service delivery protest. At the same the issue of compliance is very critical. Let us adhere to all the legislations and regulations in moving our municipalities to greater heights. Professionalism should not be compromised”, Bapela said.

An emphasis was also made regarding the Back to basics tool which was launched in 2014 to accelerate and measure service delivery. “It is a known fact that not all municipalities have welcomed the idea simply because they do not want to comply. All the five pillars are important in assisting us to build an ideal municipality where people will have access to all the basic services”, the Deputy Minister concluded.

At the mention of her institution, the Ramotshere Moiloa Local Municipality Mayor; Kereng Mothoagae who was accompanied by the Speaker Tiro Moiloa, could not contain her excitement. She made it to the podium running and uttered the following: “This award goes to the whole Ramotshere Moiloa team; our councilors, senior managers, all officials who made this possible especially the Audit and Risk Committee (ARCOM), who performs oversight in all compliance reports. You have made us proud. Let’s keep the fire burning”, said Mothoagae.

The Deputy Minister was presenting the awards in the company of the Deputy Mayor for Ethekwini Metropolitan Municipality, Fawzer Peer and CIGFARO Chairperson; Jane Masite who gave a background on the establishments of the awards. “The awards were established to celebrate the outstanding achievements of Municipalities and working tirelessly to improve the South African Communities. As we celebrate the achievements, I would like to congratulate all the winners and also looking forward to seeing them again in 2017’’, she said.

CIGFARO anticipates that all the municipalities will be motivated by the awards and improve in their performance submit their entries for a national recognition in future.