Auditor-General warns of increasing infrastructure project delays, dealing a blow to Ramaphosa’s reform plans
The Auditor-General’s (AG’s) latest report on government departments and state-owned enterprises reveals that ongoing delays and systemic failures in delivering and maintaining public infrastructure remain the Achilles’ heel of service delivery in South Africa.
Source: Pexels
The 2024-25 consolidated general report on the national and provincial audit outcomes, released by AG Tsakani Maluleke on Thursday, 26 March 2026, found that of 152 infrastructure projects that were audited by her office, 109 (72%) experienced delays.
The average project delay, the AG report revealed, was 41 months (almost 3.5 years), with some projects being delayed for almost 10 years.
This is an increase of 17% from the average delays of 35 months recorded in the 2023-24 financial year.
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