'LEADERSHIP THAT DELIVERS': POLOKWANE RANKED TOP 3 METRO IN SA INDEPENDENT ASSESSMENT
- The Azanian
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Mayor Cllr Makoro John Mpe praised for 4th clean audit, 100% grant spending and improved governance
By Mpho Dube, Editor-in-Chief
The Azanian | Truth. Fearless. Unfiltered.
AZANIAFROCOMEDIA – The Catalyst of Impact
Polokwane Municipality* has been ranked #3 out of South Africa’s major metros in the South African http://Magazine.com 2024–2026 Selected South African Metropolitan Municipalities Performance Rankings, scoring 8.3/10 in an independent assessment based entirely on official government data.
The ranking evaluated metros across 5 categories: Financial Management, Infrastructure Delivery, Service Delivery, Economic Development, and Governance & Accountability — each weighted at 20%.
No opinions. No politics. Just audited facts from AGSA, National Treasury, IDPs, SDBIPs and municipal annual reports. And Polokwane, under Executive Mayor Cllr Makoro John Mpe, came out third nationally. Behind only Cape Town and Tshwane.
According to the assessment, Polokwane’s performance is built on clean governance and money spent where it matters:
Financial Management & Governance
- 4th consecutive unqualified audit opinion — a clear sign of stability and transparency
- Polokwane Housing Association improved from a Qualified to an Unqualified audit opinion
- 5 SALGA governance accolades in recent cycles
Infrastructure & Service Delivery
- 100% spending of Water Services Infrastructure Grant (WSIG)
- 100% spending of Regional Bulk Infrastructure Grant (RBIG)
Meaning every rand allocated for water and bulk infrastructure was spent, not returned.
For Mayor Mpe, the ranking confirms what residents have been seeing on the ground — roads being built, services improving, and municipal capacity growing.
"This ranking is not about me. It is about the people of Polokwane and the officials who wake up every day to serve," Cllr Mpe said.
"A 4th clean audit means we are managing public money with care. An improved audit at PHA shows our entities are also getting stronger. 100% grant spending means we are delivering water and infrastructure without excuses."
The Mayor has led from the front in recent months — inspecting road projects in Ga-Setati Ward 15, handing over a new 22-wheeler, tractors and bakkies to municipal teams, and pushing the #ReagaPolokwane programme to restore and rebuild the city.
"When the challenge is on the ground, the response must also be on the ground," he said during last week’s fleet handover. That approach is now reflected in national data.
The top 5 metros in the assessment:
1. Cape Town - 9.6/10
2. Tshwane - 8.7/10
3. Polokwane - 8.3/10
4. eThekwini - 7.9/10
5. Johannesburg - 7.2/10
To be ranked above eThekwini and Johannesburg — two of SA’s biggest economic hubs — shows the scale of progress in Limpopo’s capital.
Cllr Makoro John Mpe: "Clean audits. Improved entities. Full grant spending. This is what a Naturally Progressive city looks like. The work continues."
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