The senior official of the Minister of Basic Education, Sivive Gwarube, countered reports that he refused to undergo a lifestyle audit, asserting that he was the one who proposed the idea.
Director-General Matanzima Mveli stated on Monday evening that he himself suggested that Gwarube and Deputy Minister Regine Mkhaule voluntarily undergo a lifestyle audit, and subsequently urged his deputy directors-general to do the same.
In a statement released through his lawyers, Mveli noted that reports describing his position as a refusal are erroneous. He emphasized: 'I support lifestyle audits in public service and am willing to undergo such an audit.' He added that 'my concerns regarding this process should not be portrayed as a refusal of accountability or compliance with a lawful inspection.'
Mveli reported that he had already begun negotiations with the head of the Special Investigation Unit regarding the organization of the audits when they were publicly presented as an instruction from the minister to senior executives, including himself.
Previously, Gwarube published an open letter on March 27th, stating that the decision to involve the SIU in conducting lifestyle audits was her own decision, and warned that those who would lose the most from this clean-up would resist.
Mveli clarified that his objection concerned how his own audit would be conducted, including issues related to the handling of his confidential information. He explained: 'Lifestyle audits include sensitive personal and financial information. My concern is that the process concerning me is conducted in accordance with this basis.'
He referred to the Guide for Implementing Lifestyle Audits in Public Service, which, according to him, establishes standards of confidentiality, fairness, and independence. Mveli, who indicated that he has worked in government for over 40 years and has held the post of Director-General since 2015, rejected suggestions that his stance calls into question his integrity or handling of public funds. He also stated that he would not discuss the details of the process publicly.
The Sunday Times reported last week that Mveli sent Gwarube a legal letter refusing the audit, in which he allegedly cited his constitutional right to privacy and argued that a lifestyle audit was not a duty under his employment contract.
Gwarube's representative, Lukanyo Vanga, told the newspaper that the department and the SIU signed an agreement on temporary transfer on June 15th of this year, and that the first phase focused on the director-general, deputy directors-general, and employees in high-risk areas such as supply chain and human resources.
Mveli had previously told the newspaper that he was willing to undergo the audit because he had passed a security clearance that included polygraph tests, provided it was done legally. This dispute over the audit is the latest clash between the two parties.
Earlier, Gwarube suspended the catalog of new-level textbooks from September 2nd, but Mveli notified the South African Publishers Association last Friday that provinces could purchase learning materials from him.
The ANC supported Mveli in a statement on September 11th, expressing concern over what they termed growing instability in the department since Gwarube's appointment in 2024, and condemning political interference in administrative processes. Geordina Hill-Lewis of the DA raised this issue at a party event in Ekurhuleni. She stated: 'She insisted that the director-general of education undergo a lifestyle audit. He refused. But why refuse a simple confirmation that your lifestyle matches your income?'
Speaking at the Cape Town Press Club last Monday, Gwarube stated that she herself had undergone a lifestyle audit, and that all senior officials must do so. She said: 'We should not equate disagreements with a breach of relations. I do not expect the department to do what I am not ready for.'