Auditor-General of South Africa (AGSA), Tsakani Maluleke, has strongly denied allegations of corruption involving some of its auditors in the Free State province, following claims brought forward by ActionSA.
ActionSA stated it had received reports from whistleblowers alleging that senior AGSA officials in the province colluded with employees and consultants from Centlec—a municipal electricity distributor—to manipulate audit outcomes.
The allegations suggest that audit reports were deliberately altered to conceal evidence of widespread financial mismanagement and fraud within the Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality.
Maluleke responded firmly, defending the integrity of the institution and its auditing processes.
She emphasised that AGSA audits were conducted under rigorous internal and external review mechanisms, designed to uphold the highest ethical and professional standards.
“They also undergo strict independent quality reviews by independent industry regulators such as the Independent Regulatory Board for Auditors (IRBA),
“In line with International Standards on Auditing (ISA) that we adhere to, our audit processes are such that no single person can conclude and audit alone, as there are several stringent internal and external review mechanisms that all our auditors must adhere to,” she said.
There is currently no evidence to support claims of collusion between AGSA auditors in the Free State and municipal officials, Maluleke stated.
“We therefore call on those who have concrete evidence of impropriety to submit it through our complaints process to enable the AGSA to investigate it,” she said.
Additionally, the auditor-general pointed out that the accusations first surfaced on social media in 2024.
AGSA immediately initiated an internal assessment and informed the appropriate municipal authorities of its findings.
AGSA reaffirmed its constitutional mission to audit public sector organisations without fear or favour, as well as its dedication to accountability and openness.
“We therefore call on those who have concrete evidence of impropriety to submit it through our complaints process to enable the AGSA to investigate it,” the statement read.
kamogelo.moichela@iol.co.za
IOL Politics
