Note to editors: Please find attached English soundbite by Michael Waters MPL.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Gauteng welcomes the Auditor-General of South Africa’s (AGSA) confirmation to investigate questionable payments by the Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) to the Matthew Goniwe School of Leadership and Governance (MGSLG). The AGSA will determine the legitimacy of these contracts and assess if there was value for money for Gauteng residents.
This commitment is a direct result of sustained DA pressure and oversight culminating in a formal request for a forensic investigation into millions paid to the MGSLG over multiple financial years. The Auditor-General has since confirmed that the matter will be examined as part of the 2024/25 audit process.
See AGSA letter here.
This is a victory for the DA’s persistent oversight work and a significant step toward accountability, especially after the refusal to summon the MGSLG before the Education Portfolio Committee to account for the spending of taxpayers’ money. The Auditor-General’s review of payments to the school gives Gauteng residents hope for transparency in how their money was spent and the quality of services delivered.
However, this is not the end of the process. The Auditor-General of South Africa has indicated that it will not conduct a separate forensic investigation covering the full period from 2019 to 2024, citing limitations in scope. This raises serious concerns about the full extent of payments made over multiple years. The DA will therefore escalate the matter to the Public Protector to ensure a comprehensive investigation is undertaken, thereby ensuring full accountability.
The DA is the only party committed to ensuring that every rand of public money spent in Gauteng delivers value for residents and is subject to proper oversight. We would have acted swiftly to investigate these contracts and, if found to be non-beneficial, terminate them and redirect the funds to where they are needed most.