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South Africa: SCOPA report on the SABC 2018/19 annual report and oversight (2020)

Last checked: 22 October 2026 · Recommendation records

The National Assembly's Standing Committee on Public Accounts (SCOPA) reported on the SABC's 2018/19 Annual Report, Annual Financial Statements and oversight in a report dated 11 November 2020 (ATC201126) 1. It made 15 numbered recommendations, on procurement and irregular expenditure 1. It asked the Executive Authority for quarterly progress reports 1. No published progress report was found. The SCOPA chairperson said in 2023 that the SABC had a qualified opinion for 2021/22 2. The Auditor-General told SCOPA in April 2025 that the 2023/24 outcome was unqualified with findings 3.
Parliament
National Assembly of South Africa 1
Committee
Standing Committee on Public Accounts (SCOPA) 1
Report
Report of the Committee on Public Accounts on the 2018/19 Annual Report, Annual Financial Statements, and oversight of the SABC 1
Date and reference
Dated 11 November 2020, ATC reference ATC201126 1
Hearings
28 July 2020 hearing, 1 September 2020 follow-up meeting, 23 October 2020 oversight visit 1
Recommendations
15, numbered 01 to 15 1
Government response
Executive Authority to submit a quarterly progress report, starting within 30 days of adoption by the House 1. No published report found as of 22 October 2026
Outcome status
No public response to the reporting request. Audit indicators mixed, see table 2,3

What the committee said

The committee recorded that the SABC received "an adverse opinion in 2016/17, a disclaimer in 2017/18, and a qualified opinion in 2018/19" 1. It said "The SABC received R2.1bn of the R3.2bn bailout it requested from the Government" 1.

On irregular expenditure the committee cited an "accumulated balance of R5,2 billion as stated in the Annual Report 2018/19" 1. It quoted the note 42 disclosure of R5 220 726 000, against R4 977 300 000 in 2018 1.

The committee attributes its findings on non-disclosure and controls over irregular expenditure to the Auditor-General 1. The Auditor-General's own 2018/19 audit report on the SABC was not checked for this record, so any difference in wording is not confirmed.

The hearings dealt with deviations from competitive bidding and expansions of existing contracts. The committee summarised cases going back to 2010, late applications to National Treasury and contracts that continued before approval 1.

The 15 recommendations

The report directs the recommendations to the Accounting Authority. They are listed as numbered in the report, shortened where long 1.

  • 01. "The vacancy rate is reduced by appointing permanent senior management" 1
  • 02. Better communication between supply chain management and business units, so that expiring contracts are dealt with in time 1
  • 03. Expansions and deviations used only in exceptional cases, such as sole suppliers and emergencies 1
  • 04. Where deviations and expansions apply, "there is evidence that the market has been tested" 1
  • 05. "The SABC only makes any payments where a valid contract is in place" 1
  • 06. Applications for deviations and expansions made to National Treasury in good time 1
  • 07. "The Corporation improves its internal control environment to avoid misuse of financial and other resources" 1
  • 08. Disciplinary action against employees responsible for irregular expenditure 1
  • 09. Reasonable care to detect and prevent irregular, fruitless and wasteful expenditure 1
  • 10. "The contract management unit is capacitated immediately to guarantee compliance with SCM requirements" 1
  • 11. "All critical vacancies are filled" 1
  • 12. A continually updated list of contracts with expiry dates, so that new tenders start in time 1
  • 13. Deviations from competitive bidding not to be the norm 1
  • 14. Contracts not expanded by more than 20 percent or R20 million for construction-related goods, "and 15 percent or R15 million for all other goods and services", in line with National Treasury Instruction Note 32 of 2011 1
  • 15. Procurement committee members "appointed in writing", vetted and given clear roles in appointment letters 1

The response requested and what is on record

The report says: "The Committee recommends that the Executive Authority submits a quarterly progress report" "within 30 days after the adoption of this report by the House" 1. The PMG copy of the report is marked "Report to be considered" and does not show the date the House adopted it 1.

No quarterly progress report from the Executive Authority was found in the sources checked as of 22 October 2026.

SCOPA has reported on the SABC before. Its report of 9 February 2011 (ATC110209) on the 2009/10 financial statements and an Auditor-General investigation asked for progress reports within 60 days of adoption 4. Several of its supply chain recommendations, such as early warnings for expiring contracts and disciplinary steps, recur in the 2020 report 1,4.

Later hearings and audit outcomes

At a SCOPA hearing on 31 May 2023 the chairperson said the SABC "maintained a qualified audit opinion for 2021/22, with a qualification on irregular expenditure", according to the PMG record 2. He gave irregular expenditure as R2.9 billion against R5.4 billion the previous year 2. The Group CFO said R91 million was incurred as irregular expenditure in the current year 2. The PMG record does not show any reference to the November 2020 report 2.

At a SCOPA briefing on 22 April 2025 an Auditor-General official said the SABC outcome "improved from a disclaimer of opinion to unqualified", with findings on financial statements and compliance, according to the PMG record 3. He said compliance findings on irregular and fruitless and wasteful expenditure were repeated and that "consequence management was not being fully implemented" 3.

Outcome status

RecommendationStatus as of 22 October 2026Source
Quarterly progress report by the Executive AuthorityNo public response. No public record found as of 22 October 2026 1SCOPA report 1
08, disciplinary action for irregular expenditurePending. An Auditor-General official said in April 2025 that consequence management was not being fully implemented 3PMG record, 22 April 2025 3
07 and 09, controls over irregular expenditurePending. Qualified opinion on irregular expenditure for 2021/22 2. Repeat compliance findings reported in April 2025 3PMG records 2,3
01 to 06 and 10 to 15No public record found as of 22 October 2026 1SCOPA report 1

Common questions

Did SCOPA find that SABC officials committed crimes?

No. The committee made recommendations on controls, procurement and discipline 1. A recommendation is not a finding of wrongdoing.

How much irregular expenditure did the committee cite?

An accumulated balance of R5,2 billion as stated in the 2018/19 Annual Report 1.

What did SCOPA ask the government to do?

Submit quarterly progress reports to Parliament, starting within 30 days of the House adopting the report 1.

What audit opinion did the SABC get later?

A qualified opinion for 2021/22, as stated by the SCOPA chairperson 2, and an unqualified opinion with findings for 2023/24, reported to SCOPA by the Auditor-General in April 2025 after a disclaimer for the prior year 3.

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Sources

  1. Parliamentary Monitoring Group: ATC201126, Report of the Committee on Public Accounts on the 2018/19 Annual Report, Annual Financial Statements and oversight of the SABC (dated 11 November 2020)
  2. Parliamentary Monitoring Group: SCOPA, SABC 2021/22 Annual Report and related matters hearing with Minister (31 May 2023)
  3. Parliamentary Monitoring Group: SCOPA, AGSA briefing on SABC and SITA audit outcomes and financial performance (22 April 2025)
  4. Parliamentary Monitoring Group: ATC110209, SCOPA second report on the Auditor-General's report on the SABC 2009/10 financial statements and an investigation at the SABC (9 February 2011)

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