Parliament fails to investigate lifestyle audits, raising accountability concerns
Lifestyle audits have long been positioned as a key tool to root out corruption and restore integrity in the public service. However, feedback suggests the process remains uneven.
Image: Armand Hough/Independent Newspapers
Fewer than half of lifestyle audit cases identified across the public service are currently under investigation, with no clear timelines for when outstanding probes will be finalised.
The update from Parliament follows earlier reports that at least 24 senior officials in President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Cabinet had been flagged through lifestyle audits, raising questions about progress and accountability.
Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Public Service and Administration, Jan de Villiers, said the committee had stepped up oversight through engagements in March and April with the Department of Public Service and Administration (DPSA), the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) and provincial departments.
"The committee has exercised oversight through several meetings held on the issue of lifestyle audits," de Villiers said, adding that these engagements form part of efforts "to build a professional, ethical and capable public service".
He said while there has been some movement, gaps remain.
"The committee has seen progress and improvement in the uptake of lifestyle audits, but there is still room for further improvement," he said.
Data presented to the committee shows that "fewer than half of the identified cases are being investigated", which he described as “a major concern". He added that "consequence management is limited and often inconsistent".
De Villiers said Parliament is not satisfied with the pace and quality of implementation.
"The committee is not yet satisfied that implementation and follow-through are happening with the consistency, speed and transparency required," he said.
He also highlighted structural weaknesses in how the process is handled, noting that lifestyle audits risk losing their impact if not enforced properly.
"The committee’s position is that investigations must lead to sanctions where wrongdoing is established," he said, warning that without this, audits could "move beyond a mere compliance exercise".