Police protection for threatened state auditors
It emerged this week that certain auditors allegedly received deaths threats while combing through the books of municipalities.
Cooperative Governance Minister Zweli Mkhize says his department is working with the South African Police Service to finalise teams that will be sent out to oversee the process of municipal audits.
It comes in response to allegations that a team of state auditors that had been auditing the eThekwini Municipality's books received death threats.
It is alleged the auditors were warned not to continue with their probe into the Supply Chain Management Department and the Forensic Investigations Unit.
The audit team was withdrawn from the municipality by the Auditor General.
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There have also been claims of intimidation in Msunduzi - prompting Auditor General, Kimi Makwetu to urge Minister Mkhize to step in - saying auditors are working in hostile environments.
Mkhize says they will also be working with Treasury and the Public Services and Administration Department to finalise audits.
"These threats are unacceptable and we think that people have crossed the line," said Mkhize.
On Friday eThekwini Mayor Zandile Gumede said she had instructed the city's head of security to devise a plan to protect auditors.
Parliament's Standing Committee on the Auditor General has also condemned the alleged threats and called for a thorough investigation.
Auditor General Kimi Makwetu this week revealed irregular expenditure in local government has increased by 71% - from R16 billion in the 2015/16 financial year to R28.3 billion during the 2016/17 financial year.