Higher Education Portfolio Audit Outcomes; DHET 2024/25 Annual Report (with Minister)

Video Annual Reports 2024/25 The Portfolio Committee on Higher Education met in Parliament to receive briefings from the Auditor-General of South Africa (AGSA) on the 2024/25 audit outcomes of the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) and its entities, as well as a presentation from the Department on its 2024/25 Annual Report. The AGSA’s consolidated audit results indicated a mixed performance across the post-school education and training (PSET) sector. While certain improvements were recorded, systemic weaknesses persisted, particularly in governance, compliance, and performance reporting. Of the 26 public universities, 15 achieved clean audits, while nine obtained unqualified audit opinions with findings—reflecting recurring weaknesses in management controls and slow implementation of audit recommendations. The AGSA reported that several institutions, including UNISA, Mangosuthu University of Technology (MUT), Tshwane University of Technology (TUT), and the University of Fort Hare (UFH), failed to submit their financial statements on time, undermining accountability and transparency. The number of clean audits declined from 17 to 15, signalling stagnation in governance and oversight effectiveness. Audit outcomes for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges showed moderate improvement, with 12 colleges achieving clean audits compared to five in the previous cycle. However, the AGSA noted that nearly half of the colleges still relied on auditors to correct accounting errors—an indication of weak internal controls, inadequate record keeping, and persistent compliance lapses, particularly in procurement and financial reporting. Community Education and Training (CET) colleges demonstrated stronger control environments, with six of nine institutions achieving clean audits. Two colleges received qualified opinions, and one failed to submit on time. The AGSA commended CET colleges for improved financial management but cautioned that qua