The best-run municipality in the Western Cape

The best-run municipality in the Western Cape is the West Coast District Municipality, which has achieved a clean audit for 14 consecutive years, the longest streak in the country.

This is according to the Auditor-General of South Africa’s consolidated report, which assesses the financial records of the country’s 257 municipalities for the 2023/24 financial year.

The district, one of five in the Western Cape, comprises five local municipalities: Matzikama, Cederberg, Bergrivier, Saldanha Bay, and Swartland, with a collective population of 391,767.

Local municipalities are responsible for delivering direct services to communities, while district municipalities tend to handle cross-municipal functions such as infrastructure provision.

Major towns on the West Coast include Malmesbury, Vredenburg, Saldanha, Clanwilliam, and Vredendal, which act as hubs for the local farming communities.

Commonly farmed crops include grain in the southern Swartland area and citrus further north in the Cederberg. The Saldanha Bay natural harbour is frequently used for ore exports.

All local municipalities in the district received clean audits for the year except the Cederberg Local Municipality, which received an unqualified audit opinion with findings.

This stands in significant contrast to the rest of the country, with only 41 municipalities receiving a clean audit and 90 receiving a qualified audit outcome.

It means that the AG determined that their financial reporting contained material misstatements in specific amounts.

The West Coast DM council consists of twenty-five seats, with ten councillors directly elected and another fifteen appointed by the councils of the five local municipalities.

Of these fifteen, nine are from the Democratic Alliance (DA), five from the African National Congress (ANC), and one from the GOOD Party.

The remaining ten councillors elected directly comprise five DA representatives, two from the ANC, and one each from the Patriotic Alliance, Freedom Front Plus, and GOOD.

This gives the DA a majority of the seats in the council at fourteen, followed by the ANC with seven and GOOD with two.

‘Political stability a cornerstone of success’

When asked about what sets the municipality apart from others in the country, West Coast DM spokesperson Heinrich Robertson told Newsday that structurally, there is no difference.

Instead, he argues that it is the “political vision and administrative will” of the council that have allowed it to achieve a clean audit for the fourteenth consecutive year.

“Councillors recognise that the challenges and negative public perceptions within the public sector present an opportunity: to restore trust and create hope by delivering effective, affordable, and high-quality municipal services,” he said.

Robertson added that the political stability of the council and administrative consistency are cornerstones of its success, allowing for medium- to long-term visions to be realised.

This was echoed by the AGSA, which said that municipalities receiving a clean audit for four or more years “were generally characterised by stability in key positions such as the municipal manager and chief financial officer.”

“A municipality will often find it difficult to sustain a clean audit if it does not have the institutional capability to maintain and consistently apply its good practices.”

West Coast DM Mayor Boffie Strydom told Newsday that it is essential to create a working environment where executive management can innovate and strengthen administrative processes.

“Achieving a clean audit is a significant affirmation of the municipality’s commitment to sound financial management, transparency, and good governance,” he said.

“It reflects the dedication of our administration to uphold the highest standards of accountability, ensuring that public resources are managed responsibly and in the best interest of our communities.”