Health committee presses department over 10 years of unchanged audit results
· Citizen
Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Health called for urgent governance and financial management improvements at the National Department of Health on Sunday.
The committee questioned the department on its 2025/26 annual report as part of Parliament’s Budgetary Review and Recommendations Report process.
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Audit outcome stuck for a decade
Committee chairperson Faith Muthambi addressed the minister directly.
“There has been no movement on your audit outcome for over a period of 10 years, minister. What is concerning is the lack of consequence management that the Auditor-General has repeatedly highlighted,” said Muthambi.
The committee also pointed to 32 material irregularities identified across the health sector. According to the annual report, R187 million in irregular expenditure remained unresolved, with R179 million under investigation.
A separate R106 million connectivity contract was referred to National Treasury and the Hawks.
“The Auditor-General continues to identify material misstatements in the financial statements. We want to know what consequence management measures have been implemented,” said Muthambi.
Spending, medicine shortages and governance failures
The department achieved 33 of its 47 targets, a rate of 70.2%, yet spent almost its entire budget.
Muthambi had earlier said the committee would look beyond spending alone.
“We will determine whether public resources have been utilised effectively, whether value for money has been achieved, and whether governance, accountability, and performance are translating into tangible improvements in health outcomes and the quality of services provided to the public,” she stated.
Members raised medicine stock-outs, long waits for specialist care, and poorly maintained hospitals.
The department blamed manufacturing disruptions, regulatory compliance actions, and congestion at the Port of Durban.
Muthambi said patients bore the cost.
“Our people, particularly the rural poor, depend on these health sector services. They trust the system and use public healthcare services, and it is our responsibility to ensure that they receive the services they need,” she added.
Health Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi admitted the National Health Laboratory Service was in trouble.
“Indeed, NHLS has got very serious problems,” said Motsoaledi. “My diagnosis was that the problem at NHLS is one of governance.”
Staff shortages and what comes next
The department reported an overall vacancy rate of 15.2%.
The National Health Insurance programme had the highest rate at 19.6%, with only 67 of 102 approved posts filled.
The committee said it would call provinces flagged by the Auditor-General to account.
“We want the department to move from an unqualified audit opinion to a clean audit,” said Muthambi.
She said Parliament would keep monitoring progress.
“It’s in our interest as the committee to continue monitoring the implementation of interventions aimed at improving these important health outcomes,” said Muthambi.