Parliament, Thursday, 8 October 2026 – The Portfolio Committee on Mineral and Petroleum Resources has expressed concern over the Council for Geoscience’s (CGS) regression from a clean audit outcome in the 2024/25 financial year to an unqualified audit opinion with material findings in 2025/26.
CGS, Mintek, the State Diamond Trader (SDT) and the South African Diamond and Precious Metals Regulator (SADPMR) appeared before the committee on Thursday to report on their respective performance during the 2025/26 financial year.
The committee congratulated Mintek, SDT and SADPMR for achieving clean audit outcomes in the year under review. However, it expressed disappointment at CGS’s regression and called on its management to urgently address the material findings raised by the Auditor-General South Africa (AGSA).
Committee Chairperson Mr Mikateko Mahlaule said the committee was disappointed with CGS because the entity had previously demonstrated its capability to achieve a clean audit.
“We are expressing this disappointment with CGS because we know what the entity can achieve. Management needs to work hard to remedy the material findings raised by the AGSA to regain the clean audit in the next reporting cycle,” said Mr Mahlaule.
The committee also considered the entities’ non-financial performance against their planned annual targets for 2025/26. CGS achieved 20 of its 23 planned annual targets, representing 87% performance. SDT achieved 17 of its 19 planned targets, representing 89%, while Mintek achieved 20 of its 31 planned targets, representing 64%.
SADPMR achieved 42 of its 46 planned annual targets, representing 91%, which was the highest performance among the four entities.
ISSUED BY THE PARLIAMENTARY COMMUNICATION SERVICES ON BEHALF OF THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON MINERAL AND PETROLEUM RESOURCES, MR MIKATEKO MAHLAULE
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Name: Justice Molafo
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Email: jmolafo@parliament.gov.za
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