Auditor general Tsakani Maluleke highlighted this stark finding when her office presented its 2022-23 consolidated general report on local government audit outcomes to parliament on Tuesday. In her report, Maluleke called on “all roleplayers in the accountability ecosystem to work deliberately and with urgency towards a culture of performance, accountability, transparency, and institutional integrity that will ultimately result in a better life for the people of South Africa”. The auditor general said despite commitments made by those concerned, the pace of improvement has been “slow, with little impact on the lives of ordinary South Africans”.  Thabiso Tema speaks to Acting Chief Officer: Municipal Finance at Salga, Lerato Phasha and Economist.