Parliament’s standing committee on the auditor-general expects to kick off its assessment and review of the powers of the auditor-general as soon as August, while calls grow for the supreme audit institution to be given power to enforce its recommendations. While releasing the consolidated audit outcomes of SA’s 263 municipalities last week, auditor-general Kimi Makwetu flagged "consequence management" as a decisive weakness in the quest to get councils’ finances in order. In 2016, the office conducted research that involved studying supreme audit institutions around the world, to find solutions on how to give the office of the auditor-general sharper enforcement teeth in line with the Constitution. At present, the office is animated by the Public Audit Act, the Public Finance Management Act and the Municipal Finance Management Act. While these laws outline harsh penalties for accounting officers responsible for mismanagement and maladministration, they do not empower the auditor-ge...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.