Durban mayor Cyril Xaba champions transparency as Auditor-General presents audit findings

Ethekwini Mayor Cyril Xaba stated that he was keen to promote transparency and accountability by inviting the Auditor-General (AG) to present the Status of Records Review at an Executive Committee meeting on Tuesday. 

The report is the outcome of a high-level risk assessment process for the period 2024/25 against the 2023 and 2024 audit findings and commitments. According to the municipality, the AG’s office presented two important documents: the Audit Strategy, which drives their engagements with City officials, and the Status of Records Review on 4 July. 

Xaba said he provided comments and commitments to the AG to support their work to improve audit outcomes and restore public trust in the municipality.  

He explained that in terms of the Audit Strategy, the AG will table the 2024 and 2025 audit outcomes to the executive committee in January 2026 and to council on 30 January 2026.  

The AG is expected to present the audit report for the municipality to Xaba on 28 November 2025.  

“For the work they do, the City budgets around R30 million annually. This seminal work ultimately culminates in the Audit Outcomes. It assesses the extent to which management has addressed those matters and warns of the likelihood of the audit finding resurfacing in future audits.  These are early warning signals that, if disregarded, lead to repeat findings,” Xaba said. 

According to the municipality, the status of the records review looks at the following:

• It identifies key areas of concern that may impact the municipality’s preparation of financial and performance reports, including complying with relevant legislation and achieving a clean audit.
• It assesses progress made in implementing audit action plans or meeting declared commitments to address areas of concern that were communicated in previous engagements with the accounting officer. 
• It then zooms into deficiencies and risks in the procurement and contract management environment, and progress or lack thereof in addressing them. It cites poor contract management and planning, resulting in the use of expired contracts and the use of Section 36 due to poor planning. 

• It reviews progress made by management in investigating the irregular expenditure reported in the previous financial year, steps taken to recover monies loss to the municipality and finalisation of investigations and instituting of disciplinary actions against the offending officials. 

“There are challenges in the audit process. Inadequate or no supporting documentation was provided to substantiate the reported performance. Concerning the Planning, Monitoring, and Evaluation verifying performance information, the AG's office noted that insufficient details were provided regarding the performance information verification process, and the evidence of whether such verifications have been performed,” Xaba said. 

According to Xaba, as part of his response to the matters raised by the AG, he highlighted the following resolutions adopted at the Drakensburg Strategic Retreat in March 2025:  

• that both internal and external audit findings should be reported to the relevant Portfolio Committees to keep them abreast with the progress and challenges encountered in the implementation of action plans. 
• Portfolio Committees will monitor progress every quarter. 

zainul.dawood@inl.co.za