SOUTH AFRICA: Auditors ‘chased, shot and intimidated’
Auditors have become the victims of a wave of violent attacks in South Africa. The concern is that government experts, sent to check the books of the country’s increasingly corrupt municipalities, are being intimidated or worse, on the orders of local officials. In one attack, thieves broke into a guesthouse south of Johannesburg, shot a […]
Auditor- general, Kimi Makwetu reports an encouraging improvement in the audits results of South Africa’s municipalities over the past five years during a media briefing at Tshedimosetso House in Pretoria. South Africa. 01/06/2016. Siyabulela Duda
Auditors have become the victims of a wave of violent attacks in South Africa.
The concern is that government experts, sent to check the books of the country’s increasingly corrupt municipalities, are being intimidated or worse, on the orders of local officials.
In one attack, thieves broke into a guesthouse south of Johannesburg, shot a female auditor in both legs and fled with her laptop, which contained sensitive information about the accounts of the local municipality.
In another town, auditors were chased away after they came looking for some $25m (£20m) that had vanished from the local budget.
Government auditors say local municipalities are now failing to account for $1.5bn each year.