Pretoria: An independent investigation conducted by the Public Service Commission (PSC) into the State Information Technology Agency (SITA), covering the years from 2020 to 2025, has uncovered significant weaknesses in spending controls, contract management, and governance. The findings have led to a series of proposed reforms aimed at stabilizing SITA and ensuring that it is equipped for a modern digital state.
According to South African Government News Agency, the report revealed that SITA was marked for irregular expenditure by the Auditor-General over four audited years. The investigation highlighted poor accountability for officials responsible for irregular spending, a significant number of tenders abandoned or cancelled before completion, and extensive delays in contract awards, which have hindered government projects and service delivery.
During a media briefing in Pretoria, Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies Solly Malatsi stated that these delays were not just internal administrative issues but also impeded government departments' ability to secure the necessary Information and Communications Technology (ICT) systems and services to serve the public effectively. Departments such as the South African Police Service, Home Affairs, and Justice have, over time, sought exemptions to meet their operational needs outside SITA processes.
Among the critical findings, over R2 billion in irregular expenditure was flagged by the Auditor-General over four audited years, with insufficient evidence of consistent consequence management. The investigation found that one in four tenders analyzed did not result in an award, with a significant number taking longer than a year from work order to final outcome. The report also criticized SITA's lack of a reliable, integrated, and automated central contract register, highlighting deficiencies in recruitment and human resources processes, and raised concerns about Board records.
Minister Malatsi emphasized that the report provided a clear diagnosis along with practical reforms and firm deadlines. The SITA Board and management now have a direct mandate to stabilize the organization, restore basic controls, clear procurement blockages, and rebuild trust through evidence-based actions.
To ensure the report serves as a genuine reform tool, the Minister and the PSC have agreed on immediate actions, including the submission of a Board-approved stabilization and recovery plan within 30 business days, and a governance reform plan within 60 business days. Other measures include establishing a consolidated consequence-management framework and providing quarterly governance-health reports to the Minister.
The Department of Communications and Digital Technologies is also leading a formal review of SITA's mandate and operating model, exploring whether legislative, policy, or operational reforms are necessary to support the broader effort to make SITA fit for purpose.
The statement from the briefing clarified that the report does not conclude that every transaction, appointment, or decision at SITA was irregular. Instead, it identifies systemic weaknesses that have allowed poor decisions, delays, weak accountability, and corruption risks to proliferate.