Gauteng Finance MEC Nkululeko Dunga said the province's deteriorating municipal audit outcomes were due to failures in financial management during a recent media briefing.

The findings highlight systemic instabilities in local government spending and reporting. These results may signal a decline in fiscal discipline across Gauteng's municipalities, potentially impacting the delivery of essential public services.

Speaking at the Makause informal settlement in Primrose, Germiston, Dunga addressed the findings of the Auditor-General's Consolidated Report on Municipal Audit Outcomes. He said the province's municipal audit outcomes for the 2024/25 financial year [1] have worsened.

According to Dunga, the decline is a direct result of poor financial management within the affected municipalities. The MEC used the briefing to explain why the province failed to maintain or improve its standing in the Auditor-General's assessment for that specific period [1].

"The province's municipal audit outcomes for the period 2024/25 financial year have worsened," Dunga said [1].

The briefing took place against the backdrop of the Makause settlement, emphasizing the intersection of administrative financial failure and the lived reality of residents in informal settlements. Dunga did not provide a specific timeline for corrective measures during the session, but focused on the causality of the report's negative findings.

Local government audits serve as the primary mechanism for tracking the use of public funds. When these results trend downward, it often indicates a lack of internal controls, or a failure to adhere to statutory accounting standards.

“"The province's municipal audit outcomes for the period 2024/25 financial year have worsened."”

The decline in audit outcomes for the 2024/25 financial year suggests a regression in Gauteng's municipal governance. By attributing the failure to 'financial management,' the provincial government is shifting the focus toward administrative competence and internal oversight rather than systemic political failure or lack of funding. This sets the stage for potential leadership changes or intensified provincial interventions in municipal treasuries.