Parliament, Wednesday, 14 October 2026 – The Portfolio Committee on International Relations and Cooperation adopted its Budgetary Review and Recommendations Report on the department’s performance for the 2025/26 financial year on Wednesday, while raising concern about overspending that resulted in unauthorised expenditure of R159.6 million.
The Administration programme drove the overspending, spending R1.962 billion against an allocation of R1.868 billion, and Programme 4: Public Diplomacy and Protocol Services spent R688.3 million against R624.1 million. The committee noted that spending pressures largely arose from the Global Wide Area Network security solution, G20 activities, South Africa’s Interim chairing of the Southern African Development Community and other high-level engagements.
Programme 3 (International Cooperation) also exceeded its allocation by R1.631 million because of foreign exchange losses. The committee noted that underspending in Programme 5 (International Transfers), which spent R769.7 million against R821.9 million, partly offset these pressures, following the completion of South Africa’s AU Peace Fund endowment and a lower United Nations membership contribution.
The department achieved 94 per cent of its annual performance targets despite overspending in several programmes. The committee noted the department received its second consecutive qualified audit opinion. It also raised concern about recurring weaknesses in asset management and said persistent compliance failures required urgent corrective action.
In its report, the committee recommends that the Minister implement a time-bound audit action plan and establish a 90-day asset-verification intervention to produce a complete and reliable asset register. The Minister should also strengthen expenditure controls, compliance with supply chain management procedures and consequence management. It also recommended filling critical vacancies in senior management, risk management, internal audit and the built environment urgently. It also expects quarterly reports on ICT modernisation, foreign property maintenance, investigations into irregular and fruitless expenditure, disciplinary outcomes and recoveries.
The committee also recommended that the Minister meet with the committee quarterly to strengthen oversight.
The committee further recommends that the department engage National Treasury and the South African Reserve Bank to develop a sustainable mechanism for managing foreign exchange exposure. Future budgets should also be aligned more closely with foreseeable international obligations, strategic projects and the cost of maintaining South Africa’s global diplomatic footprint.
ISSUED BY PARLIAMENTARY COMMUNICATION SERVICES ON BEHALF OF MR SUPRA MAHUMAPELO, CHAIRPERSON OF THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS AND COOPERATION.
For media inquiries or interview requests, please contact the Committee’s Media Officer:
Name: Sureshinee Govender (Ms)
Cell: 081 704 1109
E-mail: sugovender@parliament.gov.za
Arrange a tour