Briefing the media on the national and provincial government’s audit results for the 2018/19 financial year, Makwetu says greater efforts are needed to improve the audit outcomes of this province and he is hopeful that the intervention by an Inter-ministerial Task Team placed in the province after it was put under administration by President Cyril Ramaphosa, will soon yield results. Makwetu says high levels of irregular expenditure and widespread non-compliance with supply chain procedures had become typical of a number of departments in these provinces in the past four years. He highlighted that although there are notable improvements in the shift of audit outcomes, more still needs to be done in terms of internal financial controls and effecting consequences for poor performance and transgressions.

“We urge the new political leadership together with the inter-ministerial task team, to continue setting the right tone for accountability and consequences, including efforts to fully restore governance in the province.”

Makwetu in his report added that “while the audit outcome of Culture, Arts and Traditional Affairs improved from qualified to unqualified with findings in 2018/19, this was offset by the regression of Tourism from an unqualified opinion with findings to a qualified opinion. The audit outcomes of all public entities remained poor with disclaimers at four entities and qualified opinions at the other two”.

Makwetu has highlighted that high vacancy rates in key positions and a lack of competency from other supporting staff are other factors that the Inter-ministerial Task Team will have to focus on.

The troubled Provincial Department of Health, Public Works and Roads, as well as Education and Sports Development, reportedly contributed to 66% of the irregular expenditure in the province.

Makwetu added that while greater efforts are needed to improve audit outcomes in this province and many others, the Western Cape continues to produce the best audit results, while the Free State achieved no clean audits.

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