The Democratic Alliance (DA) said on Friday it will be laying charges, in terms of the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA), against government accounting officers for failing to table the annual reports of government departments and entities on time.

The DA strongly condemned what it called the “repeated failure” of government departments and entities to meet deadlines, which it said reflected a worrying lack of accountability and adherence to legal requirements as outlined in the PFMA.

DA Deputy Chief Whip Dr Annelie Lotriet explained that annual reports were an essential aspect of government transparency and accountability, providing critical insights into the financial health, performance and governance of departments and entities.

Lotriet added that these reports were not only a legal obligation but also a fundamental tool for evaluating the effectiveness of government programmes and spending and to hold officials accountable for their actions.

She noted that numerous government departments and entities had consistently missed their annual report submission deadlines, reflecting the “African National Congress (ANC) government’s contempt for Parliament”, which she said created a concerning pattern of disregard for legal requirements and a lack of transparency.

She highlighted that South African Airways (SAA) last finalised its annual financial statements five years ago in 2018 and Denel, which last published its accounts three years ago, was planning to complete audits for the past three years in November.

Lotriet also made reference to the South African unincorporated joint venture diamond mining company Alexkor, which she said was a year behind in its reporting.

She said that the National Student Financial Aid Scheme, which had recently completed its 2021/22 audit, hoped to submit its 2022/23 statements by the end of March 2024, while the financial statements of both the Unemployment Insurance Fund and the Compensation Fund were more than a year behind.

She explained that the continued disregard for these deadlines undermined the principles of good governance and weakened public trust in government institutions.

“The DA remains committed to upholding the principles of transparency, accountability and responsible governance. We will continue to monitor the government's compliance with the PFMA and advocate for the highest standards of accountability in our public institutions,” said Lotriet.

The DA said it would also request that the Auditor-General issue a special report on all those entities that have failed to submit annual reports.