The Eastern Cape Provincial Government welcomes the 2024/25 audit outcomes released by the Auditor-General of South Africa (AGSA), which indicate improvements in financial management, compliance, and governance across provincial departments and public entities.
The audits, conducted in terms of the Public Audit Act (PAA) and the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA), assessed financial statements, annual performance reports, and compliance with legislation. The outcomes confirm that the Eastern Cape continues to strengthen accountability mechanisms while addressing systemic weaknesses that have historically hindered clean governance.
Key findings and improvements
Health and education turnaround
The Department of Health and the Department of Education, which previously received qualified opinions, have moved to financially unqualified outcomes. This significant achievement reflects improved financial controls and reporting systems. It demonstrates the province’s determination to stabilise the two largest service delivery departments that directly affect millions of residents.
Sustained excellence in governance
Several departments, including Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA), Economic Development, Environmental Affairs and Tourism (DEDEAT), Rural Development and Agrarian Reform (DRDAR), and the Provincial Treasury, retained clean audits — financially unqualified opinions with no findings. Meanwhile, the Office of The Premier (OTP) and Department of Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture (DSRAC) have improved from last year’s financially unqualified findings outcomes to clean audits — financially unqualified with no findings on predetermined objectives or compliance with laws and regulations. These outcomes reflect consistent compliance with the PFMA, strong leadership, and commitment to clean administration.
Progress across service delivery departments
Departments such as Social Development, Transport, Public Works, and Human Settlements retained financially unqualified opinions. These findings show steady stability but also highlight areas where compliance with legislation as well as performance reporting must be tightened.
Public entities and state-owned agencies
Major entities including the Coega Development Corporation, East London IDZ, and the Eastern Cape Gambling and Betting Board retained financially unqualified audits with no findings, confirming strong governance frameworks that continue to attract investment and drive economic growth. The Eastern Cape Parks and Tourism Agency and Eastern Cape Development Corporation received financially unqualified opinions with findings, indicating areas that require management attention. Challenges remain with the Mandela Bay Theatre Complex and the Eastern Cape Rural Development Agency, which received qualified audit outcomes and will be prioritised for corrective support.
Premier Lubabalo Oscar Mabuyane welcomed the outcomes, emphasising that the results affirm the province’s commitment to building a professional, ethical, and accountable public service.
“These results demonstrate that we are steadily improving governance in the Eastern Cape. Departments that previously struggled, such as Health and Education, have made visible progress, which is a clear signal that our interventions are bearing fruit. Clean and accountable governance is not an end in itself; it is the foundation upon which we deliver a better life for all our people. While we celebrate the clean audits achieved, we are equally focused on addressing the findings where they remain. Our goal is to achieve clean audits across all institutions of government in the province,” said Premier Mabuyane.
The Eastern Cape Provincial Government is committed to strengthening financial oversight across departments and entities with recurring audit findings, while advancing the professionalisation of the public service through targeted investment in training, skills development, and leadership accountability. Collaboration between the Provincial Treasury, the Auditor-General of South Africa (AGSA), and departments will be enhanced to address material weaknesses in financial and performance reporting. Above all, the Provincial Government will ensure that improvements in audit outcomes are matched by visible and measurable enhancements in service delivery to citizens.
Enquiries:
Khuselwa Rantjie
Chief Director: Provincial Communication Services / Government Spokesperson
Cell: 081 028 8841
E-mail: khuselwa.rantjie@ecotp.gov.za
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