Auditor-General Tsakani Maluleke says that her office's expanded powers are paying off, allowing her staff to go beyond the numbers to look at whether public entities are 'doing harm' or 'doing good'.

Listen to this article 6 min Listen to this article 6 min Just over halfway through her seven-year term, Auditor-General Tsakani Maluleke reports that the expanded powers granted to her office in 2019 are paying off.

The changes to the Public Audit Act have meant that when auditors issue a finding of "material irregularities" (MIs) against an entity, the Office of the Auditor-General of South Africa (Agsa) now has some teeth to enforce consequences. These could include the referral of the matter to bodies like the Hawks for investigation, or the issuing of a certificate of debt for financial losses incurred.

advertisementDon't want to see this? Remove adsHowever, Maluleke, addressing the parliamentary Press Gallery Association on Monday, made it clear that her office aimed to look beyond balance sheets.

There were instances, said Maluleke, where the "debits and credits are fine" -- but the public entity in question was still not fulfilling its mandate.

The Auditor-General cited the example of a newly built Mpumalanga neonatal high-care ward, a project which was financially compliant but which an inspection by her staff found was standing empty.

"Because we now have these powers, our team could expand its inquiry," said Maluleke. They...