- Premier Sihle Zikalala has revealed there are 85 incomplete forensic audits in the KZN government as of March 2022.
- Some of the investigations are long-standing matters that date back to 2014.
- Zikalala's spokesperson, Lennox Mabaso, says the DA, which made the issue public, was attempting to tarnish the recent clean audit received by the premier's office.
There are 85 incomplete forensic investigations across government departments in KwaZulu-Natal, with some outstanding matters dating back as far as 2014.
Premier Sihle Zikalala made the revelation during a response to questions posed by the DA in the KZN legislature.
The premier stated of the 85 outstanding audits, 39 were probes dating back before 2020.
According to Zikalala, the provincial Department of Transport had two audit investigations that commenced eight years ago, which had not been concluded by March 2022. A further two investigations, which began six years ago, were also incomplete.
He said capacity constraints, the complexity of the investigations, a lack of cooperation from client departments, non-availability of documents, difficulties in tracing witnesses, and delays with processing for outsourcing were but some of the reasons for the lengthy delays in investigations.
KZN DA leader Francois Rodgers ripped into Zikalala and other officials, saying they were not committed to rooting out corruption.
He said the premier had moved all forensic audits and anti-fraud and corruption services in the province from treasury to his office in July 2020.
He continued:
"These latest findings would also seem to support the perception that the decision to move forensic audits to the Office of the Premier is a politically motivated plan aimed at protecting corrupt comrades."
Rodgers added that Zikalala's department "is captured and a dumping ground for failed cadres".
"Not even the premier and his department seem willing or able to fast-track these investigations and ensure that they are completed timeously so that corrupt officials face the consequences for their actions."
Responding to the allegations, Zikalala's spokesperson, Lennox Mabaso, said the DA's take on the investigations was "lies and misrepresentation intended to steal the thunder that the Office of the Premier and other departments have received for their clean and positive audit outcomes".
He said:
He added many of the issues were still in court.
Mabaso said some of the cases were widely reported and "are before courts arising from some of the forensic investigations".
"Lies have short legs. The timing is suspicious to attempt to overshadow the positive audit outcomes."