Gauteng Records R4.2bn in Irregular Expenditure Despite Audit Gains

Lebogang Maile, Gauteng MEC for Finance and Economic Development gives annual report. (GGDA/X)

by Kelebogile Matlou

The Gauteng Provincial Government has recorded R4.2 billion in new irregular expenditure for the 2024/2025 financial year, despite a marked improvement in overall audit outcomes across departments and public institutions.

The disclosure was made by Finance MEC Lebogang Maile during a media briefing on Tuesday, 2 September 2025, following the tabling of annual reports in the Gauteng Provincial Legislature.

Maile said the provincial government is taking steps to address weaknesses by automating procurement processes, particularly around quotations and tenders, to ensure stricter compliance with supply chain management laws.

According to the audit results, 14 out of 19 public entities and eight provincial departments achieved clean audits, reflecting significant progress in financial accountability and governance.

However, Maile stressed that some departments continue to struggle. The Departments of Infrastructure Development, Agriculture and Rural Development, Social Development, Health, and Human Settlements all retained unqualified audit opinions with findings, mainly due to ongoing noncompliance with legislation.

The Department of Education saw its audit opinion decline from clean to unqualified, while the Department of Sports, Arts, Culture, and Recreation regressed further, moving from unqualified to qualified.

The Gauteng Department of Health was singled out as the only department flagged for noncompliance in all audit areas. Maile cited “inadequate internal controls” as the primary cause, adding that longstanding issues such as irregular expenditure, weak supply chain management, and poor consequence management persist.

“Consequence management is still a problem in 50% of departments, as accounting officers failed to implement recommendations from completed investigations,” said Maile.

While the overall improvement in audit outcomes marks a step forward, the recurrence of irregular spending underscores the governance challenges still facing the province. Analysts note that unless consequence management and supply chain reforms are strictly enforced, irregular expenditure will remain a recurring problem.

Maile concluded that the provincial government remains committed to tightening controls, ensuring transparency, and holding officials accountable to restore public trust in Gauteng’s financial management.