Nearly two years in office, Makhura cabinet lifestyle audits remain incomplete

21 February 2021

Nearly two years since Gauteng Premier, David Makhura and his provincial cabinet took office, lifestyle audits have still not been concluded for Members of the Executive Council.

The information was revealed in a reply to a Democratic Alliance (DA) written question to the Premier last year.

In the reply, Makhura indicated that the lifestyle audits are still sitting with the State Security Agency, and that they would only be made publicly available once completed.

The reality is, these lifestyle audits were only initiated In August 2020, against the backdrop of Personal Protective Equipment and other Covid-19 related corruption having exploded in the province, and over a year since Makhura and his cabinet took office.

If Makhura was so adamant about rooting out corruption since the beginning of his term, such lifestyle audits should have been initiated at the very latest, in June 2019.

Now six months since the announcement of these audits, the residents of Gauteng remain in the dark, not knowing if the provincial government leadership is clear of any self-enrichment or wrongdoing.

This just goes to show that rooting out corruption and building a clean provincial government that effectively delivers services to the people was never a priority for this Premier and his cabinet.

The residents of Gauteng deserve better and need a Premier who is fit to govern and act with principle. 

The DA has already tabled a motion of no confidence in Premier Makhura in the Gauteng Provincial Legislature, and despite the ANC currently refusing to schedule it, we look forward to eventually debating and voting on the motion for the residents of the province who agree that Makhura must go.

Issued by Solly Msimanga, Leader of the Opposition in Gauteng, 21 February 2021