Parliament, Tuesday, 13 October 2026 – The Portfolio Committee on Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities has criticised the Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities for the late tabling of its 2025/26 Annual Report and for presenting information that was inconsistent and, in some instances, contradictory.
The department’s audit outcome regressed, it underspent in core programmes and achieved fewer targets than it did in 2024/25.
Committee Chairperson Ms Liezl van der Merwe said the late tabling of the Annual Report should not be taken lightly.
The department submitted a version of the report to Parliament’s Clerk of Papers on 30 September 2026 but later withdrew it after it became apparent that the report had not been finalised. The committee was not informed of these developments and had to make enquiries with Parliament and other role players before rescheduling the department’s appearance.
“This is simply unacceptable,” said Ms van der Merwe.
The committee recognises the department’s important cross-cutting mandate across government and the significant challenges facing women, youth and persons with disabilities. However, it remains concerned that the department’s reporting on expenditure and activities does not sufficiently demonstrate measurable improvements in the lives of the people it serves.
The Minister, Ms Sindisiwe Chikunga, apologised for the late submission. She said the delay arose from efforts to ensure the report’s accuracy and audit readiness and acknowledged the department’s obligation to meet reporting deadlines. She added that measures had been put in place to improve compliance in future.
The Minister reported that the department achieved 43 of its 56 annual targets, representing a performance rate of 77%, and spent 99.4% of its allocated budget. She also cited ongoing budget and capacity constraints, saying these had affected programme delivery, including travel and stakeholder engagement.
The department, she said, continued to operate with a constrained staff complement despite an expanding mandate and growing responsibilities.
During the meeting, the committee was informed of a discrepancy in the Annual Report’s performance information, which reduced the department’s reported level of achievement.
Ms van der Merwe said that once a report is tabled, it cannot simply be altered. She added that she would seek formal advice on whether the report should be withdrawn and retabled or corrected through an addendum, in accordance with parliamentary processes and relevant guidance.
Members said the error, alongside conflicting information relating to expenditure and vacancies, raised serious concerns about the report’s credibility. They questioned which figures the committee should rely on when assessing the department’s performance and preparing its Budgetary Review and Recommendation Report (BRRR), which is due for adoption by Thursday.
Members agreed that an addendum could be submitted, subject to the relevant legal requirements and guidance from the Office of the Auditor-General.
Although the department spent 96.8% of its operational budget, administration accounted for 55% of operational expenditure. Members raised concerns about significant variances and underspending in core programmes and questioned whether resources had been adequately planned and aligned with departmental priorities.
Members also questioned how the department could spend 99.4% of its allocated budget while achieving only 77% of its targets, particularly where targets were reportedly missed because funding had been reprioritised or was unavailable.
The committee asked whether this pointed to weaknesses in planning, financial management and/or the costing of targets. The committee also expressed concern that the department’s audit outcome had regressed from a clean audit to an unqualified audit opinion with findings.
Members questioned why weaknesses identified through internal audit processes had not been addressed before the Auditor-General’s audit and called for stronger consequence management where officials were responsible for financial or performance failures.
Persistent vacancies, leadership instability, limited capacity in internal audit, risk management, information and communications technology, and human resources, as well as reliance on consultants, were also raised as areas of concern.
Members requested detailed information on which vacancies are funded, how long critical posts have remained vacant and how staffing gaps have affected the department’s ability to achieve its targets.
The committee reiterated its disappointment that the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) had failed to table its Annual Report on time for a second consecutive year. Members sought an update on the NYDA forensic investigation, including progress to date and expected completion timelines, as well as information on the department’s oversight of the agency.
Ms van der Merwe also requested a written update and a copy of the investigation’s terms of reference.
Members further expressed serious concern about departmental staff being seconded to support
the establishment of the National Council on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide. They questioned whether the secondments were lawful and appropriate, how they would affect the department’s operational capacity, and what safeguards were in place to prevent service delivery from being compromised.
ISSUED BY THE PARLIAMENTARY COMMUNICATION SERVICES ON BEHALF OF THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON WOMEN, YOUTH AND PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES, MS LIEZL VAN DER MERWE
For media enquiries or interviews with the Chairperson, please contact the committee’s Media Officer:
Name: Yoliswa Landu (Ms)
Cell: 081 497 4694
Email: ylandu@parliament.gov.za
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