Moses Kotane Local Municipality has received two awards at the South African Local Government Association’s North West Provincial Municipal Awards, recognising its performance in financial management, governance, service delivery and the localisation of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
The municipality was recognised for achieving an unqualified audit opinion, an outcome that reflects compliance with financial management requirements and improvements in its audit performance.
It was also named among only two municipalities in the North West province recognised for localising the implementation of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, or SDGs.
Municipal Spokesperson Berlina Lekgethwane said the awards reflected sustained efforts by the municipality to improve its administration and service delivery.
The SDGs provide a global framework for addressing issues including poverty, health, education, economic development and environmental sustainability. Local governments are considered important to their implementation because many of the targets require action at community level.
Moses Kotane Local Municipality Accounting Officer Mokopane Letsoalo attributed the awards to the combined efforts of the council and municipal employees.
“It has certainly not been easy. These achievements are the result of sustained effort, commitment and teamwork,” Letsoalo said.
He thanked the council for its oversight and employees for their work in implementing municipal programmes.
Letsoalo said the municipality intended to build on the progress and compete for further recognition at the next provincial awards in 2027.
The municipality’s Mayor, Cllr Nketu Nkotswe, also welcomed the recognition and credited SALGA North West for providing a platform where municipalities could demonstrate progress and learn from one another.
“We thank SALGA North West for creating this important platform through the Municipal Awards,” Nkotswe said.
He said the awards promoted accountability and recognised efforts to advance sustainable development and improve local government performance.
Nkotswe said the current council term had involved significant efforts to strengthen the municipality, adding that the awards reflected progress made through programmes implemented over the past five years.
According to Lekgethwane, the municipality intends to build on the recognition by working with council, employees, communities, traditional leaders, government stakeholders and other partners.
Moses Kotane Local Municipality serves 107 villages and two townships, and says it will continue focusing on accountability, service delivery, governance, financial management and sustainable development.
The municipality’s challenge now is to maintain its unqualified audit outcome while translating improvements in administration into sustained benefits for the communities it serves.