The Democratic Alliance (DA) laid a criminal complaint on Thursday against officials at the Education, Training and Development Practices (ETDP) Sector Education and Training Authority (SETA). This action targets accounting officials who could not back up more than R637 million in spending. The issue stems from the Auditor General’s (AG) qualified audit opinion for 2024/25, which noted missing records for discretionary grants. ETDP SETA officials, Parliament’s Higher Education Committee, and public funds now face scrutiny. The case highlights potential mismanagement and comes amid calls for accountability on March 26, 2026.
DA national spokesperson and higher education representative Karabo Khaukhau filed the complaint at Cape Town Central Police Station. She targeted all accounting officials in charge during the audit period.
The AG’s report pointed to missing records tied to R637 million in discretionary grants. This led to the qualified audit opinion.
Khaukhau stated that ETDP SETA lacks an internal audit structure to help the AG. She added, “The Public Finance Management Act makes it very clear that accounting authorities are supposed to flag irregularities with the Auditor General and be able to constitute consequence management for the misappropriation of public funds. This has not happened.”
R637 million
Amount of unsubstantiated expenditure flagged in the AG’s 2024/25 audit.
The AG’s qualified audit opinion for 2024/25 focused on spending that ETDP SETA could not prove. The DA had earlier called for the agency to answer for alleged grant mismanagement.
Parliament’s Higher Education Committee chairperson Tebogo Letsie offered a different view. He said the DA is jumping the gun. Letsie noted, “It’s not necessarily true that there are no invoices. Irregular expenditure is an accounting term that says how you spent the money may not have been in the best interest of the SETA. But it doesn’t necessarily mean you don’t know where the money went.”
The Public Finance Management Act requires accounting authorities to report irregularities and handle misappropriation through consequence management.
Khaukhau accused Letsie of covering for African National Congress (ANC) cadres. The AG findings stand as verified, while police investigation results remain unknown.
Parliament’s portfolio committee plans to probe the matter after the Easter break. No further updates are available at this time.
Conclusion
The DA filed a criminal complaint over ETDP SETA’s failure to justify R637 million in spending, as found by the Auditor General. The key dispute pits DA spokesperson Karabo Khaukhau against Higher Education Committee chairperson Tebogo Letsie on the meaning of irregular expenditure.
Readers can follow updates from Parliament’s Higher Education Committee or the Auditor General for developments on ETDP SETA accountability.
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