While the province had shown notable improvement in its audit outcomes, departments must ensure that these achievements translate into real benefits for residents, MaQueen Letsoha-Mathae told OFM News in an interview on Wednesday (22/10). For the 2024/25 financial year, the Free State recorded significant progress, with clean audits increasing from two to three, and 75% of departments and entities achieving unqualified opinions overall.

Letsoha-Mathae commended the provincial treasury and the department of economic development, small business development, tourism, and environmental affairs, both under the leadership of MEC Ketso Makume, for achieving clean audits. The Free State legislature also received a clean audit.

However, the premier underscored the importance of linking these outcomes to service delivery. “A clean audit must be linked to service delivery because there will be no point in you getting a clean audit when you can’t even service the people.

“So I don’t look at a clean audit, I look at a clean audit and service delivery itself, and this is what we have been emphasising.”

The same Lekgotla is emphasising there is a need for departments to meet, she added. “One department out of this meeting rose to say we’ve got weekly meetings, we meet together, we look at these areas where we are not performing, and we assist each other. 

“That is what is needed; we need to work together as a collective.”

Teamwork and collaboration across departments are crucial to improving performance. The provincial executive committee had agreed with the provincial treasury to begin monitoring departments’ performances proactively and intervene when challenges arise, rather than waiting for the auditor-general’s (AG) findings.

During a recent visit to the Free State, AG Tsakani Maluleke expressed satisfaction with the province’s positive trajectory but cautioned departments such as health and education must strengthen their standard operating procedures.

The AG’s report highlighted several achievements with 100% on-time submission of financial statements, a reduction in qualified audits with findings from six (38%) to four (25%), and no adverse findings, disclaimers, outstanding audits, or regressions.

These improvements are clear indicators of the province’s growing commitment to good governance and sound financial management, she noted. Overall, the province’s audit outcomes show steady progress with 19% of departments achieving clean audits and 75% receiving unqualified opinions overall (clean plus unqualified with findings).

The ultimate measure of success is not just financial compliance but the delivery of quality services to the people of the Free State, Letsoha-Mathae reiterated.

• Have a news tip to share? Phone or whatsapp the OFM News Hotline: 066 487 1427.

OFM News/Kekeletso Mosebetsi mvh