But the provincial government says the report, tabled in Parliament by Auditor-General Terence Nombembe, is “good” because it shows “that corruption is reported and that this will afford the province an opportunity to fight it”.

According to the report, companies with links to the Mpumalanga government pocketed R115million in business deals in the period between 2005 and 2007. This allegedly involved 573 government officials.

Limpopo tops the list with R270million involving 929 police, agriculture, water, and forestry officials.

Mpumalanga government spokesperson Ntime Skosana said they had, among other procedures, established a confidential hotline, integrity management and computer forensic units in the premier’s office “to unearth the extent of the corruption”.