Overview
- Answering questions in the National Assembly, Deputy President Paul Mashatile argued that strong audit outcomes in the Western Cape do not reflect the lived realities of residents in townships and informal settlements.
- He cited the Auditor‑General’s 2023/24 results, noting 41 clean audits versus 34 the previous year and about 55% unqualified or clean outcomes overall, while stressing that audit compliance does not equate to equitable service delivery.
- Mashatile criticized DA performance in poorer areas, contrasting conditions in suburbs with dry taps reported in largely black communities and saying he would award the party a failing score in those neighborhoods.
- DA MP James “JB” Lorimer defended the province, highlighting Cape Town’s provision of free electricity and water for indigent households and visible services such as tarred roads, refuse removal and municipal electricity supply in Khayelitsha.
- Separately, Mashatile said revelations before the Madlanga Commission expose glaring weaknesses in the policing cluster and called for swift action to place the right people in key positions once the processes conclude.