| Today’s first map shows the vacancies in finance and administration departments in local municipalities in FY1920 as reported by StatsSA in the Non-Financial Census for Municipalities. The financial well being of our municipalities is a concern. The lack of people or skills is often blamed. However, by comparing the first map with the second map showing audit outcomes, there is no apparent link between vacancies and audit outcomes.
The maps show that some municipalities with few vacancies could not finalise the audits in time or got adverse findings. Similarly, some municipalities got reasonable audit outcomes while having high vacancy rates. The issue is complex, but it may point out that dedication and skills are more important than bodies keeping seats warm in a municipal office.
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