By KEDIBONE MOLAETSI
1 April 2026 – The Portfolio Committee on Public Service and Administration today noted the practical challenges, including high costs and the administrative burden involved, in implementing lifestyle audits across the public sector. The committee received briefings from several provincial governments, including KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng, Northern Cape, Western Cape and North West on their efforts to implement lifestyle audits.
The Chairperson of the Committee, Jan de Villiers said the meeting forms part of the committee’s ongoing oversight to hold departments accountable for implementing the lifestyle audit framework in the public service. De Villiers said they noted that while progress has been made, lifestyle audits remain at an early stage of institutionalisation.
“We are still working towards making lifestyle audits a standard and embedded practice within the public service. There is not yet a uniform approach applied across provinces.
“However, I commend the progress that provinces have made in developing and using lifestyle audits. There is a need to strengthen gaps identified in the Department of Public Service and Administration’s (DPSA) framework,” he said.
De Villiers further said the committee noted from the presentations that lifestyle audits appear more effective when conducted by independent bodies rather than by departments. He added that it seems more appropriate that independent bodies lead and implement these audits, whether the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) or external audit services.
“It is difficult for ethics officers or internal departmental officials to act as the “police” of their own institutions. The committee noted that the SIU is not properly empowered, where there is only a secondment, and that a presidential proclamation remains the most effective way to ensure that the SIU is fully empowered.
“Regarding internal capacity and other administrative challenges, the committee noted difficulties officials faced in accessing the required financial records. Lifestyle audits often present a significant volume of work,” said de Villiers.
He said it is important to explore how this can be more effectively automated. De Villiers said they must look at how technology can be used to streamline the auditing process.
“The technical processes between the South African Revenue Service (SARS), the Auditor-General (AG), National Treasury and even the banks are still being developed. There must be ways to make compliance easier for auditees, as obtaining the required documentation, such as bank statements, can be complex and costly.
“On the issue of costs, the committee noted that lifestyle audits are costly to implement and should be budgeted for accordingly. There may be a need for legislative and budgeting reform through the National Treasury regarding how provinces are expected to fund these audits,” he said.
The Guardian 