Ms Vhutsilo Tshikudo is in the hot seat of the manager: finances of the Makhado Municipality and acting director of the financial department since June 11.

Ms Tshikudo holds a B Com degree in accounting, and has completed various other accounting-related certificate courses. She is presently engaged in the Executive Leadership Development Program for Local Government at Tswane University.

Finding out more about the profile of the lady was not possible, due to the pressure of the financial year end.

Questions concerning the finance department were answered to some degree by the municipal manager or by the financial manager through the municipal manager.

Please describe the organogram of the Finance Department?

The executive committee, at a meeting held on June 28 this year, considered a review of the existing organogram of all municipal departments. Their recommendation will be considered by Council at its meeting scheduled for July 27. I cannot make the organogram available until Council has considered it.

What are the plans and goals in respect of sound financial management?

The plans and goals for sound financial management are reflected in the operational plan of the finance department in detail in the service delivery and budget implementation plans (SDBIP). The SDBIPs and KPIs, KRA and Targets will be considered by the executive committee on July 19, whereafter it can be made available. I am not at liberty to make it available to you before the executive committee has approved it for reasons that speak for themselves.

Community members remark that Council used to have sound finances and a credit of millions in the bank. Now all that is lost plus Council has a debt of many millions. How is Council going to rectify that?

I cannot comment on community remarks of a general nature. What I can say as accounting officer of the municipality is that enabling intervention was taken to address gaps that were identified, that progress is regularly assessed and monitored and reviewed, based on findings implemented. Staff of the finance department are engaged in lifelong learning on higher levels, while staff on lower levels are continuously trained on the job to ensure effective and efficient service delivery and operations.

I can also confirm that all public funds were used in public interest to create infrastructure services, infrastructure facilities, to operate and to maintain assets and services.