Lesufi set to fire senior officials as Ethics Report Exposes misconduct and lavish lifestyles

Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi is preparing to dismiss several senior officials following revelations of widespread misconduct and financial irregularities within the provincial administration.

The move comes after a damning report by the Gauteng Ethics Advisory Council exposed how high-ranking government figures were living well beyond their means and engaging in illegal business dealings with the state.

According to sources close to the matter, the axe is expected to fall as early as next week on a number of heads of department (HODs) and chief executives.

The lifestyle audits, commissioned amid growing concern over senior officials driving luxury vehicles and maintaining opulent lifestyles inconsistent with their official salaries, confirmed deep-rooted ethical breaches.

The ethics report found that out of 19 senior managers audited, more than a third either failed outright or were marked as high-risk. The situation has raised serious questions about the integrity of provincial leadership and the enforcement of governance standards.

The report also revealed that 152 public servants were actively doing business with the government — a direct violation of the Public Administration Management Act, which prohibits such conduct. The education department emerged as the most problematic, with 124 employees flagged for transacting with the state.

Beyond ethics violations, Lesufi is reportedly frustrated with poor departmental performance.

Several departments underspent their allocated budgets, leading to the return of R1.8 billion to the National Treasury — a significant setback for service delivery in a province grappling with infrastructure and social challenges. Insiders say this has compounded pressure on the premier to take decisive action.“

There’s a pattern of underperformance, overspending on office leases, and now clear evidence of unethical conduct,” said a senior government source.

“Lesufi is left with no choice but to act.”

The final straw appears to be a combination of electoral backlash and internal ANC pressure. The party’s support in Gauteng plummeted from 50% in 2019 to 34% in the 2024 elections, forcing it into a coalition government.

This political blow has prompted calls from within the ANC, particularly the Youth League, to urgently reform the provincial administration and remove officials hindering progress, especially in departments tasked with youth development and bursaries.

“You can't lose public support like that and continue with business as usual,” said a source close to the premier.

“Some of these officials have become complacent and detached from the urgency needed to fix the province.”

Lesufi has credited the independent ethics council with driving efforts to clean up government, praising their role in initiating lifestyle audits and advising on procurement and local governance reforms. While some of the flagged transactions in the education sector were minor, such as teachers moonlighting during marking or selling small goods to schools, Lesufi said all irregularities must be scrutinised.

The report will be formally tabled at the next executive council meeting, and Lesufi’s administration has committed to respond within 14 days.