Gauteng Treasury MEC Lebogang Maile speaking at a press briefing on Sunday to present the audit outcomes of provincial governments and entities.
X/@GautengTreasury
Gauteng Treasury MEC Lebogang Maile says he is pleased that the majority of departments and entities of the provincial government got clean audits.However,Maile says his department is going to work closely with other departments and entities to reduce the irregular expenditure in the province.Maile said consequences management remains a challenge for the departments whose audit outcomes are in the red.
While eight departments and 14 entities in the Gauteng government obtained clean audit outcomes in the 2024/25 financial year,the province also recorded R4.2 billion in irregular expenditure.
Treasury MEC Lebogang Maile revealed this during a media briefing on Sunday.
Maile reported on how the provincial departments and their entities performed in the 2024/25 financial year following their Tuesday tabling of annual reports in the legislature.
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He said that while it was commendable that the majority of the departments and entities achieved clean audits,signalling the progress the province is making on improving financial management and spending funds to deliver services to the residents of Gauteng,it remained a concern that irregular expenditure continues to occur.
“We remain concerned about the continuous rise in irregular expenditure,which occurs when departments do not adhere to supply chain management rules and regulations when procuring goods and services. Provincial Treasury continues to work closely with departments to curb irregular expenditure by strengthening supply chain management capacity,” said Maile.
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The departments that received a clean audit outcome are: Office of the Premier,provincial legislature,provincial Treasury,cooperative governance and traditional affairs (Cogta),e-government,economic development,community safety,and roads and transport.
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Maile added that four departments – the Office of the Premier,Treasury,provincial legislature and Cogta – have obtained clean audits for the past five years.
“This is an indication of stable and effective leadership that is focused on upholding clean governance,” he said.
Meanwhile,the infrastructure development,agriculture and rural development,social development,health,and human settlements departments received unqualified audit opinions with findings mainly due to non-compliance with laws and regulations.
Maile said these departments have consistently received unqualified audit outcomes for the last two to three years.
He said:
For me,it is important that they continue to reduce the matters that are findings from the AG (Auditor-General). Then,ultimately,it will be easier for them to get a clean audit.
Maile also revealed that the Department of Education had moved from previously receiving a clean audit to receiving an unqualified audit opinion,while the Department of Sports,Arts,Culture and Recreation had regressed from an unqualified to a qualified audit opinion.
MEC Matome Chiloane leads both departments. He took over the Department of Education from Panyaza Lesufi when he became premier in the sixth administration. In the seventh administration,Lesufi announced the merger of the departments of education and sports,arts,culture and recreation.
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Provincial Treasury head of department Ncumisa Mnyani said the issues that had caused the Department of Education to regress related to expenditure management,procurement and contract management.
Maile said consequence management remained an issue concerning the departments that received unqualified audit outcomes.
He said:
The accounting officers did not implement recommendations from completed investigations. Material misstatements in the annual financial statements were an issue for 50% of these departments,which indicates weak internal controls and a lack of adequate management reviews in the financial reporting process.
Maile also announced that 14 out of the 19 provincial government entities received clean audits. These are: Gauteng Infrastructure Financing Agency,Gauteng Film Commission,Gauteng Growth and Development Agency,Supplier Park Development,Constitutional Hill Precinct,IDZ Development Company,Gautrain,Gauteng Liquor Board,Cradle of Humankind,Dinokeng,Gauteng Gambling Board,Transport Authority of Gauteng,Gauteng Partnership Fund and Gauteng Enterprise Propeller.
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The Medical Supplies Depot received an unqualified audit opinion,while G-Fleet Management,Innovation Hub and Gauteng Tourism Authority regressed to unqualified audit opinions.
MEC @LebogangMaile1 is leading today’s media briefing on the 2024/25 Audit Outcomes.
The reports show progress in clean governance,with more departments and entities achieving clean audits,a strong step towards transparency,accountability and better service delivery. pic.twitter.com/xhmcK6NpZS
— Gauteng Treasury (@GautengTreasury) September 7,2025
He said: “Consequences management remained an issue for Medical Supplies Depot due to lack of implementation of recommendations from completed investigations from the Department of Health. Non-implementation of consequence management also led to irregular expenditure that could not be condoned during this period.”
Maile said he was concerned with the deterioration of the Housing Fund,which regressed from an adverse to a disclaimer audit finding.
“The provincial Treasury is fully committed to working closely with departments and entities to ensure transparency and public accountability in the province by implementing credible financial controls with the goal of realising 100% clean governance,” he said.
Maile added: “We will get to a point where when you come to the press conference,you will know that we are just announcing clean audits. We will get to that point… we are very,very confident. We have a very competent,qualified,experienced,knowledgeable and skilled team in the Treasury that works with the departments on a daily basis to ensure that we improve.”
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