Gauteng Premier delayed on lifestyle audits

19 June 2018

Gauteng Premier David Makhura promised earlier this year to do lifestyle audits on all his Members of the Executive Council, but has not yet found a state agency to do this.

According to a reply to my questions in the Gauteng Legislature, Makhura says that he is “still consulting with several state agencies and institutions which have the ability to do lifestyle audits, these include the South African Police Services and the South African Revenue Services.”

I am very disappointed by the slow progress in this matter as corruption is rife in provincial government departments and lifestyle audits are a useful tool to pick up areas for investigation.

Makhura is reported as having said this weekend at the Inclusive Growth Forum of the Kgalema Motlanthe Foundation that it was "fundamental" for society to insist on politicians undergoing lifestyle audits.

But when I asked him about lifestyle audits two years ago he disclosed that the Gauteng Provincial Government had never done a single lifestyle audit.

He doesn’t have to wait for a state agency to do these audits as private companies can do it.

Makhura has a poor record of delivery on his promises and I doubt that lifestyle audits will happen before his five year term of office ends. Makhura wants to be regarded as a corruption buster. This shows that he is anything but.

Issued by Jack Bloom MPL - DA Gauteng Shadow Health MEC, 19 June 2018