The Municipal Public Accounts Committee (MPAC) of the Cape Winelands District Municipality (CWDM) gathered at its Stellenbosch offices last Tuesday (22 July), together with the municipality’s Senior Management Team (SMT), to review Auditor-General (AG) reports, internal-audit reports and comments made by the SMT and audit committee.
The MPAC, established in terms of the Municipal Structures Act 3 of 2021, is a Section 79 committee and the main oversight body ensuring the terms of guidelines issued by the National Treasury, the national Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs and South African Local Government Association (in 2012) are properly implemented.
The MPAC comprises nine councillors elected in council with relevant knowledge of financial and governance issues. Council also elects an additional nine members to serve as alternates, substituting the official MPAC members where necessary.
The chairperson of MPAC is appointed by council from the membership of the political parties represented in CWDM. The executive mayor, executive deputy mayor, speaker, whip, Mayoral Committee members and municipal officials cannot be members of MPAC. The MPAC members’ main role and responsibilities include reviewing the AG reports, internal audit reports and comments made by the SMT and audit committee. All recommendations that come from this meeting are submitted to the council for approval.
“It is MPAC’s responsibility to ensure the public is informed,” a CWDM statement explained. “It also provides the necessary assurance that money is being spent wisely and ensures that assets are managed properly. The MPAC engages directly with the public and considers comments from the public. It is the committee’s job to serve the public and work together with the public towards achieving effective, efficient and economically sustainable development.
“The MPAC of the CWDM promotes good governance, transparency, accountability and ethical leadership. The integrity of CWDM must be preserved until we achieve a unified Cape Winelands of excellence for sustainable development.”
