The current government administration has lost R12bn due to fraud and non-compliance since 2019, while key departments such as health and education continue to be among the worst performing.
Auditor-general Tsakani Maluleke on Wednesday tabled the audit report for the 2021-2022 financial year which revealed that there was a general increase of clean audits. However, departments that have the greatest impact on the daily lives of citizens were underperforming.
About R5.85bn was lost due to fruitless and wasteful expenditure. Maluleke said she was optimistic about the general improvement of audits but cautioned that financial discipline was not evident.
“These auditees are the key service delivery portfolios, consisting of health, basic education, public works and infrastructure, transport, water and sanitation, and housing, as well as state-owned enterprises, listed as schedule 2 public entities in the Public Finance Management Act,” Maluleke said.
She cited poor planning and lack of oversight as some of the reasons behind the challenges in government, adding that only accountability would improve the situation.
“Deficiencies in financial and performance management may prevent government from achieving the ideals set out in the National Development Plan such as alleviating poverty, providing access to clean water and sanitation, improving the life expectancy of the people of South Africa, enhancing the quality of teaching and learning through providing education infrastructure, enabling decent employment, and encouraging economic growth,” Maluleke said.
mahopoz@sowetan.co.za
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