In the 2023/24 financial year, only 41 of South Africa’s 257 municipalities (16%) received a clean audit, meaning their financial and performance reports were credible and reliable. Cape Town was the only metro to achieve this.The rest had concerning audit outcomes:– 99 unqualified with findings: Material misstatements were corrected, but issues like weak capacity and poor internal controls remained.

– 90 qualified opinions: Financial statements had material errors and couldn’t be fully trusted.

– 6 adverse opinions: Statements were deemed “not useful” for decision-making.

– 11 disclaimed opinions: The Auditor-General couldn’t assess the finances due to a lack of evidence.

– 10 audits outstanding: Yet to be finalised.

Audit opinions are a critical measure of whether councillors, residents, and higher levels of government can rely on a municipality’s reporting to make decisions and ensure accountability.