In a significant achievement, the City of Cape Town has once again received a clean audit for the financial year 2022/23, reinforcing its commitment to fiscal responsibility and good governance. Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis expressed his satisfaction with the Auditor General’s positive opinion, emphasizing its crucial role in effective service delivery.
The City’s draft annual report and financial statements are scheduled to be presented to the City Council on January 30, marking another milestone in Cape Town’s transparent financial practices.
“It gives me great pleasure to report that Cape Town has once again delivered a clean audit opinion, this time for 2022/23. Spending public money on its intended purpose, with careful record-keeping and legal compliance, is the very foundation of service delivery,” Mayor Hill-Lewis declared.
A clean audit is more than just symbolic recognition; it serves as the cornerstone for improved services to residents. The City’s good governance practices have not only attracted substantial property investments, amounting to over R3.5 billion in the fiscal year but also facilitated an impressive R6.94 billion expenditure on infrastructure.
Councillor Siseko Mbandezi, Mayoral Committee Member for Finance, commended the dedicated efforts of City officials. “This clean audit would not have been possible without a concerted effort from officials across the City who are committed to serving Capetonians with pride and integrity. Thank you, Team Cape Town, for ensuring that this record budget was spent lawfully, with every public rand going towards service delivery,” said Mbandezi.
The City’s 2022/23 Annual Report highlights several accolades, including Cape Town being recognized as South Africa’s most sustainable city according to the Municipal Financial Sustainability Index. Additionally, the Knights Sustainable Cities Index ranked Cape Town as the best municipality in South Africa in 2023.
Despite economic challenges, rating agencies such as Moody’s conferred a strong credit rating on Cape Town with a stable outlook, reflecting the City’s resilience and effective financial management.
Service delivery achievements from the annual report include the addition of over 205,000 jobs, doubling sewer pipe replacement efforts, significant progress in water and sanitation accessibility, and a reduction of load-shedding levels by 14%.
Other notable accomplishments involve advancements in safety technology with a substantial investment of R860 million over three years. The City is also undertaking South Africa’s largest body and dashcam rollout and expanding the Safe Space transitional shelter facilities to aid the homeless.
In the transportation sector, the MyCiti service recorded 18.3 million passenger trips, while road rehabilitation efforts covered 209 kilometres. Social housing initiatives saw the release of more than 1,300 units, and a new ‘no-cost transfer’ program was launched to facilitate the free transfer of public rental units.
Mayor Hill-Lewis concluded, “Good governance is the key to our success, and with this clean audit, we reaffirm our commitment to transparency, accountability, and ultimately, improving the lives of our residents.”
The Cape Navigator will continue to provide updates on the City’s progress as the draft annual report and financial statements are deliberated in the City Council.
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