South Africa’s Auditor-General Tsakani Maluleke released a report on 26 March revealing significant delays in 72% of 152 audited infrastructure projects, averaging 41 months. The findings undermine service delivery and President Cyril Ramaphosa’s reform plans amid R47.39-billion in spending. Maluleke urged slowing spending to match capabilities.
Auditor-General Tsakani Maluleke presented the 2024-25 consolidated general report on national and provincial audit outcomes on 26 March. The report examined 152 infrastructure projects across departments, public entities, provinces and municipalities, with a combined value of R47.39-billion. These covered schools, health facilities, housing, roads, water infrastructure and government buildings. Of the projects, 109—or 72%—faced delays, averaging 41 months, up 17% from 35 months in the 2023-24 financial year. Some delays reached nearly 10 years. Maluleke attributed delays to failures in appointing replacement contractors, lack of consequences for poor performers, administrative inefficiencies and delayed payments, which also exposed projects to vandalism and theft. In human settlements, delays averaged 71 months, with some nearing 20 years. For instance, KwaZulu-Natal’s Fitty Park housing project in uMnambithi aimed for 300 houses by July 2021 but completed only 15 by 2025. The report also highlighted neglected maintenance, such as at Matloding Primary School in North West, where structural defects, non-functional facilities and safety issues persisted after a ceiling collapse in February 2025. President Cyril Ramaphosa, in his 2026 State of the Nation Address, pledged over R1-trillion in public infrastructure investment over three years, calling it transformative for jobs and growth. Medium-term spending totals R1.07-trillion. Maluleke cautioned that many entities lack capacity, advising to 'slow down the spending' to ensure quality and timeliness. Broader audit outcomes showed 151 clean audits out of 417 auditees, covering just 12% of R2.21-trillion expenditure. The Western Cape led provincially, while Free State and North West lagged. Only two of 19 state-owned enterprises achieved clean audits.