19 July 2021 | 10:00-12:30 |
Zoom link: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJMrf-ioqTgiHtaH7we6ng2Dhn3xhC2dD_nV
The Human Sciences Research Council and Sol Plaatje University in partnership with the Auditor-General of South Africa invites you to a virtual public lecture.
Municipal audit outcomes should invariably be examined within the prism of the impetus to construct a Capable, Developmental and Ethical State in South Africa. Municipalities have over the past five years (2016-2021) faced numerous capacity deficiencies manifesting through poor audit outcomes, lapses of governance, a culture of impunity, lack of consequences and constant public service delivery protests witnessed in many parts of the country. This situation has necessitated the government to introduce interventions involving the implementation of the Municipal Audit Support Programme under the auspices of SALGA and the Public Audit Amendment Act 5 of 2018 aimed at enhancing the constitutional powers of the Auditor-General, among others.
However, the introduction of emergency procurement processes in respect of Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) in response to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic has revealed pre-existing problems engulfing municipal procurement such as overpricing, fraud and corruption as evidenced by actions and reports emanating from the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) and the Hawks.
It is within this context that the virtual Public Lecture organised by Sol Plaatje University, the Human Sciences Research Council in partnership with the Auditor-General of South Africa would attempt to provide a situational analysis and thought leadership informed by the tabling of the Municipal Finance Management Act (MFMA) general report 2019-2020 on municipalities as well as the Special COVID-19 report on municipalities and grapple to answer this question: What needs to be done going forward?
The virtual public lecture will share insights and perspectives into the Municipal Finance Management Act (MFMA) audit outcomes general report and COVID-19 special report on municipalities. A panel comprising of reputable and prominent experts drawn from academia and the private sector will follow the keynote address by the Auditor-General.
