Picture: The North West MEC for Treasury, Kenetswe Mosenogi
By KEDIBONE MOLAETSI
21 August 2026 – The North West Provincial Treasury today convened all 22 municipalities in the province to assess their readiness to submit the 2025/26 annual financial statements to the Auditor-General South Africa (AGSA) by the legislated deadline of 31 August 2026. The engagement forms part of the province’s drive to achieve full, credible and timely compliance with the Municipal Finance Management Act (MFMA).
The North West MEC for Treasury, Kenetswe Mosenogi said Section 126(1)(a) of the MFMA requires each accounting officer to submit annual financial statements to the Auditor-General within two months of the end of the municipal financial year. Mosenogi said in the 2024/25 cycle, 21 of the 22 municipalities in North West submitted their Annual Financial Statements on time.
“Several of the statements submitted contained material misstatements and were not adequately supported by documentation. The Provincial Treasury has identified the credibility of financial data and municipalities’ reliance on consultants to prepare their statements, as key areas requiring attention ahead of the 2025/26 deadline.
“Today’s session set four objectives such as to achieve 100% submission of annual financial statements across the province, to improve the credibility of financial statements, to improve compliance with legislated timeframes and to improve accountability,” she said.
Mosenogi expressed that each municipality was required to account for its state of readiness, outstanding work, key risks, responsible officials and corrective action. She further said municipalities need to strengthen their internal review processes ahead of submission.
“Municipalities need to pay more attention to the credibility of their financial data and reduce their unsustainable reliance on consultants. Active participation by internal audit units and audit committees, reviewing financial statements before they go to the Auditor-General, will help us improve our audit outcomes.
“The gathering was attended by executive mayors, municipal managers, chief financial officers, managers responsible for financial management and internal audit officials and they all committed that their respective municipalities will be ready to submit their 2025/26 annual financial statements to the Auditor General of South Africa on 31 August 2026,” added Mosenogi.
She said the Provincial Treasury, the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) and the South African Local Government Association (SALGA), have committed to working together to close support gaps and address risks in the remaining weeks before the deadline.
The Guardian 