GAUTENG Premier Panyaza Lesufi has released 39 long-awaited audit reports.
The Gauteng province has for a while been under pressure from the DA to release these audit reports which, according to the political party, were gathering dust in the premier's office.
"We didn't have these reports until we investigated their whereabouts," said the premier.
The audit outcomes revealed significant issues, including corruption, a lack of transparency, and underperformance by the heads of various provincial departments. The underperforming HODs have been reassigned to other departments.
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According to the Premier, the province faces a major problem with underspending, with over R1 billion left unspent.
This failure to meet spending targets was a key factor in his decision to act against those responsible. Departments affected by the reshuffle include Education, Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta), Social Development, Human Settlement, Community Safety, and Health.
While new HODs have been appointed in some of these departments, appointments in others are still pending.
This release of audit reports follows last month's release of 47 forensic reports that implicated officials from Thembisa and Anglo-Ashanti hospitals. The Premier also noted that 91 forensic reports are still outstanding. As a result of these findings, 88 criminal cases have been opened and are now under investigation by the Special Investigating Unit (SIU).
In addition to addressing provincial governance, Premier Lesufi also spoke about Gauteng's readiness for the G20 summit.
He announced that weekly walkabouts, which will be conducted every Tuesday, will inspect and address issues such as faulty streetlights, sewage leaks, and electricity problems.
