Political parties push for lifestyle audits

As the push for transparency in governance reaches a crescendo, political parties are locking horns over lifestyle audits for government officials.

The DA in Gauteng has ramped up pressure on premier Panyaza Lesufi to make lifestyle audit results public, while ActionSA has renewed its call for comprehensive and mandatory audits, criticising other political parties for avoiding scrutiny.

DA wants results released

DA Gauteng leader Solly Msimanga demanded that Lesufi release the results of audits conducted on senior government officials and heads of departments.

Msimanga’s call for transparency came after Lesufi announced during his state of the province address that audits on all heads of departments and CEOs of the Gauteng Provincial Government agencies had been finalised.

“For a long time now, we have been told about lifestyle audits that are near completion, yet year in and year out, we never receive the results of these audits,” Msimanga said.

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“If Lesufi has nothing to hide or is not shielding anyone, he must do the right thing to make the lifestyle audits public,” he said.

Msimanga said the public had a right to know whether their leaders were living beyond their means “especially given the persistent allegations of corruption in the province”.

Corruption Watch says audits are important

Karam Singh, executive director at Corruption Watch, alluded to the importance of audits in holding officials accountable.

“Lifestyle audits can be highly effective if conducted rigorously and transparently. They have the potential to identify corruption, but their success depends on the thoroughness of the process and public disclosure,” he said.

However, Singh warned some might hide assets as there was no standard system across the public sector.

“We haven’t seen the full potential of lifestyle audits yet in our system. Some politicians might tailor their lifestyles to evade detection,” he said.

“Additional measures must be considered, such as involving the auditor-general.”

Funzi Ngobeni, ActionSA member of the Gauteng Legislature and provincial chairperson, emphasised the party’s long-standing support for the audits and their potential impact on governance.

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