South Africa orders SITA to enact governance reforms

The South African government has ordered the State Information Technology Agency (SITA) to implement sweeping governance reforms within 60 business days following a damning investigation that uncovered systemic failures in procurement, leadership, and financial controls. Communications and Digital Technologies Minister Solly Malatsi and Public Service Commission (PSC) Chairperson Somadoda Fikeni released the final report of the independent investigation in Pretoria on Monday, July 6, 2026.

The investigation, which Malatsi requested in December 2024, examined SITA's operations from 2020 to 2025. It concluded that governance weaknesses at the agency were systemic, crosscutting, and mutually reinforcing, creating an environment where delays, poor decision-making, and corruption risks could flourish. A central finding was more than R2 billion in irregular expenditure flagged by the Auditor-General across four audited financial years, with insufficient evidence that consequence management was consistently applied.

Significant failures were identified in procurement. Of 1,443 concluded procurement matters reviewed, 278 were withdrawn, 52 were cancelled, and 34 were closed without a...