(The following debate was delivered during a Sitting of the KZN Legislature held today)
The Annual Performance Report of KwaZulu-Natal’s (KZN) Office of the Premier (OTP) for the 2025/26 financial year is not simply a ledger of indicators – it is an accountability instrument and a mirror reflecting both the strengths and weaknesses of the provincial administration.
The OTP achieved 93% of its targets in Q1 and Q2, 85% in Q3, with Q4 assessments still being finalised. This represents a broadly strong performance. Key highlights include:
• Ethics awareness: 57 sessions conducted against a target of 24, reaching thousands of officials and councillors.
• Forensic investigations: 22 reports finalised against a target of 20, with disciplinary and criminal referrals.
• Procurement transformation: Vulnerable group procurement exceeded the 80% target, reaching 91% in Q3 and Q4.
• Gender-based Violence (GBVF) response: More than 113 000 community programmes implemented, with 9 232 victims receiving psychosocial support and;
• Education outcomes: A record 90.6% National Senior Certificate (NSC) pass rate, the highest nationally, with 52% bachelor passes.
While these achievements demonstrate that the OTP is capable of driving integrity, oversight, and coordination, the report also highlights serious challenges:
• Employee-heavy budgets: Too much of the OTP’s resources are consumed by personnel costs, leaving limited funds for service delivery innovation.
• Audit regression: Clean audits declined from 6 departments in 2024/25 to 4 in 2025/26 – a worrying reversal.
• Youth programme underperformance: Only 16 048 of 58 979 planned placements were achieved, largely due to financial constraints and non-submissions by key departments.
• HIV testing decline: Testing volumes among youth dropped significantly in Q4, raising concerns about health outreach effectiveness.
• Delayed submissions: Several indicators were recorded as “not achieved” due to late reporting, not delivery failure, pointing to weak internal processes.
• Digital transformation gaps: While progress was made, the Q4 assessment of the Digital Transformation Strategy was incomplete, reflecting delays in implementation.
An appraisal of OTP programmes is as follows;
Programme 1: Administration
There has been strong compliance with 30-day invoice payments (99.9%) and cluster functionality assessments but this has not always translated into tangible outcomes on the ground. Cabinet DDM engagements tracked hundreds of community issues, but resolution rates remain low – only 12% resolved in eThekwini.
Programme 2A: Corporate Services
Catalytic training exceeded targets, capacitating hundreds of officials. Yet, reliance on consultants persists, raising questions of sustainability.
Programme 2B: Integrity Management
Forensic investigations exceeded targets, but 69 reports had recommendations not yet implemented – an issue that has been raised continuously by SCOPA. Lifestyle audits were disrupted by a cyberattack on the SITA eDisclosure system, exposing vulnerabilities in governance infrastructure.
Programme 3A: Strategic Management
All 13 departmental performance assessments were completed, but clean audits regressed. APP alignment assessments revealed 47% of indicators not assessable due to poor design – a serious planning quality deficit.
Programme 3B: Stakeholder Coordination
GBVF programmes were scaled impressively, reaching thousands. Yet, vulnerable group reporting was inconsistent, and youth placements fell far short of targets. HIV testing declines among youth are particularly concerning. The OTP has demonstrated capacity in ethics awareness, procurement transformation, and GBVF response. But governance weaknesses persist:
• Audit regressions undermine credibility.
• Youth programme failures betray our young people.
• HIV testing declines threaten public health.
• Reporting delays weaken oversight.
The OTP must strengthen consequence management, enforce compliance, and modernise systems.
To refine performance and strengthen accountability, the DA proposes;
• Consequence management framework: Enforce disciplinary action for late submissions and unimplemented forensic recommendations.
• Audit readiness support: Intensify Treasury and OTP collaboration to reverse audit regression.
• Youth employment strategy: Align budgets and planning to ensure placements are funded and delivered.
• Digital transformation acceleration: Fast-track connectivity, AI tools, and data governance systems.
• Health outreach reinforcement: Diagnose causes of HIV testing decline and expand youth-targeted interventions and;
• Reporting calendar reform: Ensure all Q4 reports are signed off before deadlines to avoid false “not achieved” records.
The APP demonstrates commendable progress in ethics, integrity, and service delivery coordination. But it also reveals systemic weaknesses: audit regression, youth programme underperformance, HIV testing decline, and reporting delays. Leadership is about balance – celebrating achievements while confronting failures. The OTP must rise to this challenge.
The DA welcomes the achievements, we critique the failures and we propose refinements. We support the OTP with appreciation and vigilance but we also demand accountability, enforced consequence management, and strengthened oversight. Only then can the OTP truly serve as the custodian of provincial leadership, integrity, and transformation.