Western Cape Premier’s Department Secures Clean Audit for 2024/25 with 95% Target Success
The Department of the Premier in the Western Cape has earned a clean audit for the 2024/25 financial year, achieving over 95% of its performance targets, a milestone celebrated as a testament to sound governance. The department presented its annual report to the Western Cape Provincial Legislature on Tuesday, 14 October 2025, at 10:00 AM SAST in Cape Town, marking a strong finish to the fiscal period ending 31 March 2025.
Director-General Harry Malila highlighted the department’s near-perfect budget utilisation – spending 98% of its R2.1 billion allocation – and zero instances of fruitless, wasteful or irregular expenditure, setting a high bar for public accountability.
This achievement comes amid broader calls for fiscal discipline across South Africa, where only 14% of national departments secured clean audits in 2023/24.
As of 1:13 PM SAST today, Wednesday, 15 October 2025, the news has sparked optimism in the province, with Malila vowing to build on this success by enhancing service delivery and regulatory compliance in the year ahead.
A Model of Fiscal Discipline and Target Achievement
The clean audit, awarded by the Auditor-General of South Africa (AGSA), reflects the department’s adherence to financial laws and performance standards.
Of the 73 targets set for 2024/25 – spanning governance, economic development and social services – 70 were met, a 95.9% success rate.
Key wins include a 99% on-time payment rate to suppliers and a 92% completion rate for infrastructure projects like rural road upgrades.
The R2.1 billion budget, up 6% from R1.98 billion in 2023/24, funded initiatives like the Western Cape Growth for Jobs Strategy, which created 12,000 jobs by March 2025. [17] Spending hit R2.058 billion, with the 2% underspend – roughly R42 million – earmarked for contingency reserves, avoiding past pitfalls of wasteful outlays seen in other provinces.
Malila credited robust internal audits and a 100% compliance rate with the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA).
This marks the third consecutive clean audit for the department, a streak not matched by any other provincial premier’s office in South Africa since 2020.
The AGSA’s 2024 report praised its risk management and IT governance, scoring 88% on control effectiveness – a 10-point leap from 2023.
Who Is Harry Malila? Leading with a Steady Hand
Harry Malila, appointed Director-General in 2019, brings 25 years of public service to the role.
A Western Cape native with a Master’s in Public Administration from Stellenbosch University, he previously headed the Department of Local Government, steering it to its first clean audit in 2017.
Known for data-driven leadership, Malila overhauled the premier’s office financial systems, introducing real-time tracking that cut overspending risks by 40% since 2022.
At Tuesday’s tabling, attended by Premier Alan Winde and 45 legislators, Malila’s calm delivery masked the effort behind the numbers. “We have no cases of fruitless and wasteful expenditure… the general status of governance is really good,” he said, adding a caveat: “More still needs to be done.”
His focus now is on “full conformance to laws, regulations and the delivery agenda,” with 2025/26 targets including a 100% spend rate and 98% target achievement.
Room for Growth: Building Impact Beyond Compliance
Despite the triumph, Malila flagged gaps. The 5% unmet targets – three shortfalls – stemmed from delays in a R15 million youth skills program and a R20 million climate resilience project, hit by contractor issues.
He pledged to “build on achieving the impact of the spend,” shifting from process to outcomes – like ensuring job creation sticks and rural services reach deeper.
The department’s 2025/26 plan, unveiled Tuesday, adds R50 million for digital inclusion, aiming to connect 15,000 households, and R30 million for water security in drought-prone areas.
This aligns with the Western Cape Government’s 2030 vision, targeting 500,000 new jobs and a 5% GDP growth rate.
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