In an interview on Power Talk with Mondli Makhanya on 13 April 2026, CGISA CEO Stephen Sadie unpacked the role of lifestyle audits as a governance tool in promoting accountability and ethical leadership. To date, 24 officials within the Presidency have been flagged for further investigation, amid concerns of undeclared income and concealed assets. Nine thousand senior managers in the public sector have undergone lifestyle audits since 2022. Of these 117 have been flagged for further investigation. The major outcomes have been verbal warnings, written warnings and a few resignations.
In a wide ranging interview with Mondli Makhanya, (former editor of City Press, Sunday Times, and Mail and Guardian), Sadie questions whether lifestyle audits have been done properly or whether leadership in the public sector has just been paying lipservice to lifestyle audits.
Sadie emphasised that lifestyle audits currently rely heavily on honesty and transparency. While valuable, they are not sufficient in isolation. He noted that these audits should be complemented by deeper forensic investigations and proper financial auditing to ensure meaningful scrutiny and consequence management.
A key concern remains the gap between investigation and action, with limited enforcement following audit outcomes. Without accountability, even the most robust governance mechanisms risk losing their impact.
Listen to the full interview to explore how lifestyle audits could strengthen governance frameworks and why enforcement is critical to their success.
