THE financial audit reports of most of the North West’s municipalities are unacceptable, Premier Thandi Modise said on Friday.

"Most municipalities did not even bother to submit their financials to the auditor-general in time," Ms Modise said in her state of the province address in Mahikeng. "This situation cannot be tolerated. We must act and act decisively."

She said municipalities had to employ qualified and skilled staff to overcome service-delivery problems.

To address the skills shortage, the provincial government is working with the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants, North West University and the Thuthuka Project, which focuses on education development, to sponsor students for accounting and finance management degrees.

"Upon completion, these students would be deployed to municipalities that experience a shortage of skills, especially in the field of finance," the premier said.

Earlier, Ms Modise said two North West agricultural colleges — in Taung and Potchefstroom — would be refurbished. A contractor was already on site working on structural defects.

This followed media reports that criticised the condition of the facilities at the Potchefstroom College of Agriculture.

Ms Modise said: "There is no need for people to sweat and misrepresent us on this matter."

She also announced the launch of the Kgora Resource Training centre at Ramatlabama, which would equip aspiring farmers with practical knowledge.

The North West government should seek to make its agricultural learning and training facilities the best in the country, Ms Modise said.

Courtesy of the Business Day