Parliament, Wednesday, 3 June 2026 – The Portfolio Committee on Public Service and Administration today raised concerns about the pace, consistency and effectiveness of implementing lifestyle audits across provinces.
The committee received briefings from the Eastern Cape, Free State and Mpumalanga provinces on progress made in implementing lifestyle audits and in strengthening ethics and integrity management systems within their respective provincial administrations. Limpopo did not respond to the invitation to appear before the committee.
The committee welcomed the provinces’ efforts to implement lifestyle audits. Members, however, expressed concern that oversight visits and presentations to the committee continue to show a lack of uniformity in implementation. The committee said provinces must learn from one another and adopt best practices that strengthen integrity and accountability.
The Chairperson of the committee, Mr Jan de Villiers, said the Special Investigating Unit and the Department of Public Service and Administration had already briefed the committee and had identified policy gaps that must be strengthened to ensure uniformity in the implementation of the audits. He said the committee’s main concern is to ensure that public money is protected from corrupt activity. “We want to find and stop corruption. Essentially, we want to stop taxpayers’ money from illicitly flowing towards corrupt activities in departments,” he said.
“The testimony emerging from the Madlanga Commission clearly demonstrates that our integrity and ethical systems across public administration are weakened. This requires urgent and focused attention to strengthen these systems to curb corruption.”
The committee also raised concerns about the role of supply chain management in corruption. “It seems to me that, regardless of the form of corruption, or what a public service employee who is guilty of corruption may be trying to do, it can almost never happen without some person in supply chain management working with them,” the Chairperson said.
“Ultimately, funds, tenders, appointing service providers and related processes tend to flow through supply chain management offices. So, should we not start with lifestyle audits on every single person in supply chain management before we do anything else?”
Members further expressed concern about delays in vetting senior management officials, which they noted are often due to processes within the State Security Agency and staff shortages. Some committee members were also concerned that there is little evidence of consequences for errant officials. Another concern was raised about provinces repeatedly relying on capacity constraints to justify their slow implementation and weak follow-through.
The committee reminded provinces that lifestyle audits were introduced as a serious anti-corruption intervention and cannot be treated as a mere guideline that can be delayed or deferred. Members stressed that these audits must be employed as a credible anti-corruption instrument with visible outcomes.
The Chairperson noted that corruption affects service delivery. “The reality is that the corruption we have seen across the state is often at its worst in provincial health departments and provincial education departments. These are also the areas where our most vulnerable citizens are – our children and patients. So, the work done through lifestyle audits, identifying ghost workers and rooting out corruption is serious work. This is not just talk. It affects the weakest members of our communities,” the Chairperson said.
“That is why the approach to lifestyle audits in the public service must be credible and standardised, with meaningful outcomes and consequences for proven wrongdoing. When we poorly implement these measures, it weakens efforts to detect corruption and protect public resources.”
ISSUED BY THE PARLIAMENTARY COMMUNICATION SERVICES ON BEHALF OF THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC SERVICE AND ADMINISTRATION, MR JAN DE VILLIERS.
For media enquiries or interviews with the Chairperson, please contact:
Name: Alicestine October
Cell: 083 665 4345
E-mail: aoctober@parliament.gov.za
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