KIMBERLEY, Northern Cape — Concerns are mounting over Northern Cape government lifestyle audits after more than 30 public servants allegedly resigned from their positions to avoid financial scrutiny. The Public Servants Association (PSA) and various political parties are now demanding strict accountability, emphasizing that stepping down does not shield officials from investigations into alleged financial misconduct, maladministration, or corruption.
The controversy stems from a comprehensive audit initiative launched in 2025, during which over 500 Northern Cape government employees were selected for lifestyle checks. Due to administrative delays, the rollout of these audits was extended to March of this year. To date, 367 audits have been successfully completed, while 216 officials failed to submit the required financial details. In April of this year, the province was officially flagged for non-compliance, coinciding with reports that 33 employees allegedly opted to quit their jobs rather than undergo the mandatory lifestyle audits.
The Public Servants Association has strongly condemned this trend, blaming it on systemic poor governance and calling for immediate strengthening of government oversight systems.
Steve Ledibane, PSA Provincial Manager for the Northern Cape, emphasized the need for proactive institutional integrity. “We are saying as PSA, if governance is right before there is any form of corruption, things will be picked up timelessly and there should be interventions,” Ledibane stated. “That is why we are saying that the employer must really go back and deal with their own governance systems.”
Political parties across the spectrum agree that disciplinary and criminal actions must be instituted against implicated individuals to ensure state funds are fully protected.
Harold McGluwa, a Member of the Northern Cape Legislature, stressed that stepping down does not absolve public officials of their duties to answer for their finances. “Resignations do not erase accountability, and it also does not hinder the premier or any department to forward those names and those people so that we can have a forensic investigation,” McGluwa said.
Shadrack Tlhaole, EFF Provincial Chairperson, echoed this sentiment with a firm stance against impunity. “Those who have wronged the state, those who have wronged our people, the purse of this country, the purse of this province, it does not belong to criminals. So those people must be investigated. Their resignations should be declined,” Tlhaole declared.
Adding to the growing scrutiny, Wynand Boshoff, FF Plus Provincial Chairperson, noted that while definitive claims require concrete proof, the pattern of behavior is telling. “There are some things that one thinks one knows, but you can’t really say for sure and you can’t say it without proof. Now, having 31 ANC employees resigning from their jobs to prevent a lifestyle audit seems to confirm what one thinks one really knows already,” Boshoff observed.
In response to the growing allegations, the African National Congress (ANC) in the province stated it will withhold formal judgment until official documentation is reviewed.
Sandiseni Sithole, ANC Spokesperson for the Northern Cape, urged caution against premature conclusions. “We also don’t want to cast suspicions against members who have exercised their rights by resigning. I don’t want to speak about that because we don’t have a report. Once we have a report, we are then able to give you a full view of the ANC,” Sithole explained.
Political parties continue to stress that if any financial misconduct or fraud is uncovered, the individuals in question must be referred to relevant law enforcement agencies for prosecution.
Attempts to reach the office of the Director General for an official comment on the matter were unsuccessful at the time of publication.