CAPE TOWN, July 17 (AGCNewsNet) – South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has confirmed that all members of his cabinet, including himself, will undergo lifestyle audits as part of a broader transparency and accountability push for the 2024/2025 financial year.

In a written response to Rise Mzansi MP Makashule Gana, Ramaphosa disclosed that the process would be coordinated by the office of the director-general and the secretary of the cabinet in the presidency—both qualified auditors.

The audits will be conducted in two phases: lifestyle reviews, based on submitted financial disclosures, followed by lifestyle investigations should any discrepancies arise. The initiative will cover the president, deputy president, ministers, and deputy ministers.

“This process ensures that the lifestyles of government employees align with their declared income levels,” Ramaphosa explained. However, he noted that making the results public remains under legal review, and that cabinet members have been requested to voluntarily consent to the audits.

Calls for lifestyle audits have intensified in recent years, with multiple political parties pressing for greater scrutiny of public officials. Public Works Minister Dean Macpherson recently launched lifestyle audits targeting 400 high-risk officials across finance, ICT, procurement, and infrastructure departments. The first round began in March 2025 and is set to conclude in September, with a second phase scheduled for October through March 2026.

“In 2022/2023 we completed audits on 48 senior managers,” Macpherson said. “Now, we’re expanding to ensure accountability among top officials handling public funds.”

The initiative comes as the new government of national unity faces growing pressure to deliver on transparency and anti-corruption promises following the 2024 general elections.

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