Audit committees and accountability in the South African public sector

Abstract

It is argued in this article that audit committees are key contributors to improved
\ncorporate governance in the public sector. Management in the public sector is
\nincreasingly required to ensure that an effective system of internal control and
\nsound governance is applied in their responsibility areas. Increased accountability
\nis a requisite for a good democracy and for improved service delivery. The audit
\ncommittee is a legislated accountability instrument in the public sector and it
\nis argued that if these committees function effectively they will contribute to
\nimproved corporate governance. When measuring the perceived effectiveness
\nof audit committees in national government departments from an external audit
\nperspective, areas for improvement of these committees are identified. This provides
\nan indication of how successful the public sector has been in implementing this
\nPublic Finance Management Act, 1999 (Act 1 of 1999) requirement.